Changing Fate
by writerspassion18
Summary: "I came to kill the man who murdered my mother." Draco's eyes grew wide as the girl whipped out a wand he couldn't have fathomed she had on her. Truth be told, he only knew she had a wand because the Killing Curse had flown from her direction and directly at him.
1. A Deadly Visitor

**June, 2004**

Draco was prone to late night walks throughout his Manor. It had been many years since violence had ever crossed his path within these walls, but habits were hard to break. He could never sleep unless he took an endless stroll through the three-winged Manor, face hard, arms behind his back, and his wand protruding between his fingers.

He knew what his servants said about him. They called him paranoid. Draco never confirmed or denied this within himself. Instead he termed his actions precautionary. He knew all too well how easy a calm, peaceful night could turn into one of pure chaos. And so he walked. It took an hour to walk throughout the entire Manor – more so if Draco paused, peered into a room or two, and then continued. Tonight, he realized, would be one of those nights that it would take longer.

Draco had been standing in the middle of the East Wing's corridor –the one where his bedroom suite lay –for the past ten minutes. His bedroom was at the end of the hall and he stared at the door that would lead him to the suite that included his bedroom, a bathroom, a lounge, and an entertainment room. Draco stood there staring at the entrance because the door was slightly ajar. If there was one thing that he had practiced, it was keeping doors closed. He didn't even leave the doors in his own suite open despite the fact that it was just himself sharing it. The fact that Draco could see the moonlight gently shimmering between the door and its frame set him on a fierce edge.

With a quick and quiet suck of his teeth, Draco positioned his arms to his sides. His wand was held tightly as he moved forward and through the open door. Beyond the door was a small corridor with its doors leading to every room but his bedroom. His bedroom on the other hand was at the end of the hall and could be seen clearly once he had entered. The closer Draco grew, the more of his bedroom he could see. Before he fully stepped beyond the archway at the end of the hall, his wand had already been raised and pointed to a figure dressed in shredded jeans, sneakers, and an oversized grey sweatshirt with the hood up.

"Who are you?" Draco demanded. The figure didn't look at him. Instead she spoke a cryptic language that caused Draco's hold on his wand to tighten.

"Someone you haven't met yet."

"I've met you now. So tell me who the hell you are."

The figure stood suddenly and Draco was prepared to shoot every curse he could think of until the figure lowered the sweatshirt's hood. It was then that Draco's wand lowered some. No, he didn't know who she was. She was a young girl, a teenager. But that wasn't the reason that Draco had stopped himself. It was because her looks were striking. In the dark she looked like him. And when the moonlight hit her face he swore he saw his mother's features mingled in with someone else's he couldn't quite place. It was as Draco was looking over her that he noticed a golden necklace draped around her and an hourglass figure dangling over her chest.

Draco tilted his head to the side. "…Either you're from the not too distant past or you're from the future. Which one is it?"

"Future,"

"Mhmm," Draco eyed her suspiciously. "What did you come back for?"

It was this question that roused the young intruder. Her face had already been stoic. But now it looked mean and with a purpose. She stared at him with a harsh look in her eyes and smiled contemptuously.

"I came to kill the man who murdered my mother."

Draco's eyes grew wide as the girl whipped out a wand he couldn't have fathomed she had on her. Truth be told, he only knew she had a wand because the Killing Curse had flown from her direction and directly at him. Draco ducked out of the way and onto the floor to avoid the curse. He had rolled away quickly and onto his feet as she sent the curse at him again. Draco threw himself behind his bed and he heard its bedsprings. The girl had jumped onto the bed and then landed on the floor beside him. Draco casted a spell at her feet, but she jumped over it. Before she could try to kill him again Draco kicked at her legs. That sent her down alright, but she still had a firm grip on her wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" She yelled. The curse missed Draco by mere inches and hit his nightstand.

"Stupefy!"

The girl rolled away before the spell got her and appeared on her feet with her wand raised yet again. Draco had gotten to his feet as well and gave his wand an exercise with expert wand movements. The girl knew better than to stand where she was and dove to her right. A vase on a stand was completely obliterated. Draco scanned the ground for her and repeated his actions. The carpet became a smoldering, smoky mess. The girl changed her tactics and set her wand on him again.

"Expelliarmus!"

Draco's wand was lifted from him in an instant. The girl smiled as she raised her deadly wand again. "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco jumped over his bed. It was a long stretch, but he made it work. Aside from getting out of the way of the curse, Draco slid his hand under his nightstand and pulled out a spare wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The girl's face froze. Not just because of the spell, but also in surprise. She fell to the ground with a thud and Draco let out a sigh of relief. He scrambled to his feet and scoffed at the fact that she still had a grip on her wand. The girl's eyes followed him as he wrestled it out of her hand.

"Avery!" Draco called. Soon after a small house elf appeared beside him. It was clear he was surprised at the young girl on the ground as well as the disheveled state of the room and of his master. "I'm giving you permission to use the Floo. Go to Harry Potter's house and bring him here."

* * *

Harry had been asleep when he felt small hands rousing him. He tried to ignore it, telling himself he was just dreaming. But it was the high-pitched voice that pierced his ears that told him it was real. He reluctantly opened his eyes and then knitted his eyebrows together in surprise when he saw a house elf at the side of his bed.

"Who are you?" Harry asked sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"My apologies, Mr. Harry Potter." Avery said. "But Master Malfoy has ordered Avery to see you. You must come to Malfoy Manor."

Harry wasn't tired anymore, but he was still confused. What on earth would Draco want with him? He hadn't seen the man in years. At least five. And even then it had been a raised chin of acknowledgement as they had passed each other along the streets of Diagon Alley. It had to have been important. And so, Harry crawled out of bed and dressed quickly. He exited his bedroom to go to his fireplace but the house elf stopped him.

"I is sorry Mr. Harry Potter, but we cannot go this way. One can leave Malfoy Manor by Floo, but one cannot go there."

"Um, okay?" Harry replied. "How will we get there then?"

"We must apparate outside of Malfoy Manor."

"Alright then,"

Avery reached out his hand to Harry who awkwardly bent over to take it. He felt the familiar tug on his navel as they disapparated and soon they found themselves outside of Malfoy Manor's gates. Harry had no idea how they would make it inside. What he knew of Malfoy Manor was that it was heavily protected against outsiders, him included. Avery left Harry's side and walked the short distance up to the gate. He placed a hand up and tentatively pushed his hand forward. It appeared that the house elf was prepared to feel something. A barrier most likely. But since his hand was touching the gate now and it was opening, Harry assumed that the barrier was down. He followed the house elf inside and up the stone pathway to the Manor's doors.

Inside was a creepy place. Perhaps it was because it was after three in the morning. It also could've been the stigma that hung around the Manor that made it seem so dark. Regardless, Harry kept his eyes straight ahead as Avery led the way through Draco's massive home. It was several minutes before Harry had been taken to where the homeowner was, and when he got there, he was in disbelief.

"What the hell happened in here?" Harry asked as he took in the state of Draco's room. The blonde man looked up at him from his seat on his bed and jammed a thumb in the direction of the ground.

"It's her fault."

Harry walked over slowly. He was standing next to Draco now and his eyes lingered over the body of a petrified young girl whose eyes stared at him knowingly.

"Who is she?"

"Someone no one's met yet." Draco sneered, paraphrasing her words. He turned to Avery and nodded to him. "You can go."

The house elf obeyed and left the room with a loud pop. Draco sighed and ran his hands over his face. "She's got a time-turner."

Harry stared in surprise as he inspected the girl. She really did have a time-turner on her. "Past or future?"

"Future. She came back to kill me."

Harry snapped his eyes to him. "Kill you? What could you have done to make her want to kill you?"

Draco looked down at the girl and saw the fury in her eyes as she stared at him. "Apparently I killed her mother."

"You…you what?"

"I don't want to believe it. But she wouldn't be so angry, so determined, if it wasn't true. I called you here because you and your lot know about time-turners. That and you're always involved in freaky crap."

Harry bit his tongue hard and nodded. "…Fine. Let's get her to the Ministry. From there we can-"

"No," Draco shook his head. "She needs to stay here."

"What? No, Malfoy. I've got to take her in. I can't keep this away from the Ministry."

"Don't give me that, Potter." Draco said firmly. "Don't go start following the rules just because you've got a fancy nameplate and a desk now. This _can't_ go to the Ministry."

"But I…" Harry started to protest, but he let his words fail. Yes, he had a "nameplate and a desk" now. He had been working as an Auror for the past four years now. It wasn't particularly hard work seeing as the major competitors were either dead or in Azkaban. This was first time in a long time a true potential enemy had crossed his path. He looked down on said enemy and frowned at the fact that it was a teenager. A teenager who had a time-turner. A teenager who had tried to kill a man that had supposedly killed her mother.

Something more was missing.

Harry gave in and crossed his arms over his chest. "You've got dungeons, I'm sure. Put her there. I'll owl 'my lot' and have them come over."

"Come with me and I'll let Avery take care of that. It'll be faster."

* * *

Hermione had been more than stunned when she was awoken from her sleep by Ron. She got up equally confused and scared to find him in her room, but he didn't do much to explain himself. He simply said that Harry needed them and that was all Hermione had to hear. She dressed and met Ron in her living room but stopped short when she spotted a small house elf standing next to him.

"Who's he?"

"I is Avery, Miss Hermione Granger." Avery replied. "Master Malfoy sent me to fetch you and Mr. Ronald Weasley at the request of Mr. Harry Potter."

"Malfoy?" Hermione repeated. She turned her gaze to Ron who shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't get it either, but whatever it is it's got to be big if Malfoy's involved."

Hermione agreed and took Avery's hand as he whisked her and Ron away. They appeared outside of Malfoy Manor and Hermione and Ron exchanged nervous glances. Avery opened the gates and allowed them to follow him inside. Up the pathway, through the doors, and down a secret corridor with stairs, Hermione and Ron found Harry and Draco standing outside of a dungeon cell.

"You're free to go, Avery." Draco told the house elf. Avery nodded and bowed out, disappearing shortly after. "Granger. Weasley." He greeted. Hermione and Ron acknowledged him and grew closer.

"Harry, what's going on?" Ron asked. Harry gestured to the young girl that all four of them could see inside the cell. She was able to move now and had taken up pacing.

"She's the reason why we're all here."

Hermione stared at the girl. She looked furious. Murderous even. She had never seen someone look so angry and she had gone to school with Draco Malfoy of all people. "What did she do?"

At Hermione's voice the girl stopped. She looked up and stared blankly at her, clearly not taking in anyone else. Draco stared between the two. His eyes then settled on the girl. His heart quickened as he took in the girl's appearance and reflected on the thoughts he had had when he had found her in his bedroom.

"You know who she is, don't you?" Draco accused more than asked. The girl didn't answer him. She simply continued to stare at Hermione. Eventually she did nod. And when she spoke she sounded more sad than angry.

"…Of course I do. She's my mother."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Apologies to those who I said I'd have this up yesterday. I don't know about you, but I couldn't log in for my life! I was so happy when I could this morning :D

So, here goes my first time-travel fic ever! I love to read them, not a fan of writing of them. It's mostly because I'm terrible with keeping dates in check (I can own up to it, not ashamed haha). This will be a ten-chapter story all dedicated to trying to avert Hermione's death and then some. The "and then some" I'm super excited to post, but I'll be patient.

All reviews welcome of course and I hope that you continue reading!

-WP :)


	2. Futuristic Answers

"I'm your what?" Hermione said as she unconsciously took a step back. Harry and Ron was just as surprised as everyone else. Except for Draco that is. His mind was running ragged over other things.

"We need to fill them in, Potter." Draco said calmly. It took Harry a minute to register Draco's words, but he eventually agreed. Draco led the way out of the dungeons and into one of the ground floor's studies.

"Can somebody tell me what the hell is going on?" Ron demanded. Draco tiredly rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

"Long story short, that _cute_ little thing in my dungeons used a time-turner to come back to try to kill me. She says that I…" Draco paused. He glanced up at Hermione whose face still hadn't composed itself of the color it had lost. "…That I killed her mother."

Hermione and Ron's gazes immediately turned to him. Ron blinked rapidly. " _You killed Hermione_?"

"I am _not_ her mother." Hermione denied. She held her arms out in front of her and vehemently shook her head. "I _can't be_. I just… _I can't_!"

"I think she's pretty sure about who her mother is." Draco said. "But I'm in no hurry to confirm her words." He added as he thought of the girl's face. "We have to talk to her; find out what's really happened. She's pretty determined to do away with me."

"If you really do kill Hermione in the future I'll let her out of the cell myself." Ron replied fiercely.

"Calm down, Ron." Harry told him. "We can't penalize Malfoy for something he hasn't done yet."

Draco stared at Harry in surprise. Regardless of his words though, his eyes said otherwise. Draco dug his hands anxiously into his pockets. "Come on. Let's go back down to the dungeons."

"Fine." Harry conceded. "But _we're_ not talking to her. Hermione is."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. " _Me?_ Why me?"

"For one thing if Malfoy goes near her she'll probably rip him to shreds." Harry answered. "Aside from that, we have no indication of whether she knows Ron or me. She only calmed down when she looked at you, Hermione."

Hermione took a deep breath. Her hands were shaky. This was too much to take in way too quickly, but seeing as these were crucial times she regrettably said that she would. The four of them left Draco's study and went back down to the dungeons. It was only Hermione though that walked up to the girl's cell. She wasn't pacing as she had been before. She was leaning up against the cell walls and immediately walked over to the bars once she realized that Hermione was alone.

"I shouldn't have told you who you are to me. I'm sorry." The girl said. Hermione stared at her curiously and prodded her.

"Why not?"

"Messing with time is dangerous. You taught me that."

"And yet you're still here."

The girl guiltily looked down at the time-turner around her neck. "You were gone. You were gone and I was angry. I wanted him to pay for what he did to you."

Hermione frowned. She swallowed deeply and marveled at the girl's sadness. "What's your name?"

"Alex,"

"Well, Alex, I know myself. And I know that I wouldn't have wanted you to kill anyone."

Alex's sadness turned to rage just then. She banged her hands against the bars. "You were gone! It didn't matter what you would've wanted! All that mattered was that you were dead and no one could tell me what to do anymore. Not you, not Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny, not Uncle Ron, and for damn certain not your murderer. Now let me out of here so I can do what I came here to do."

"With no wand?"

Alex looked down at herself, and yes, her wand was missing. It was still in Draco's possession, but she shrugged it off. "Doesn't matter. I'm a good fighter. I'll take my chances."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't let you do that."

"He killed you!"

"Not yet," Hermione reminded. "Alex, I'm still here. Nothing's happened to me yet; look at me." She gestured to herself and then reached out for the girl's hand. Alex stared at their clasped hands and she grew teary-eyed.

"He'll kill you in more than one way, mum." Alex said as tears streaked her face. "He will. He's a bad influence on you. That's how it starts. And that's why it happens."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "How what starts? Why what happens?"

"I can't tell you. But if you won't let me kill him at least promise me that you'll stay away from him. _Please_."

"I… I promise." Hermione vowed. She didn't know how well she could keep that promise, but she would do anything to soothe the distraught look on her face. It worked. Alex smiled then and then nodded.

"Good. I… I was already willing to risk my life -my existence. And maybe just keeping your promise will be enough."

Alex brought her hands to the time-turner and began to spin the rings around it. "No!" Hermione cried, but it was too late. The rings of the time-turner were spinning on their own now, and Alex disappeared on the spot.

* * *

Draco, Harry, and Ron heard Hermione yell. All three of them took off on a run, but stopped as Hermione came running towards them as well.

"Alright," She addressed Harry and Draco. "Which one of the two of you idiots left the time-turner on her?"

"What?" Harry asked. Draco on the other hand ignored her and ran towards the cell. He stared at the empty room and cursed as he kicked at the bars.

"Damn it!" Draco swore. He leaned his back against the bars and shook his head. He stared at Hermione and her cohorts as they made their way towards him. "What did she tell you?"

"Well, her name is Alex, and she drove home one main point." Hermione answered as she held Draco's gaze. "She told me to stay away from you. She made me promise."

"Simple enough," Ron huffed with satisfaction. "The further you are away from Malfoy the better off you'll be."

"But that can't just be it." Hermione said with frustration. "She told me that Malfoy would be a bad influence on me. That it was how it starts and how it happened."

"What's the 'it?'" Harry questioned. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know. But we need to find out. The future is more than just knowing what's going to happen. Changing it requires more than just one pebble drop into water. It can still even itself out and have the same end."

"Fine," Ron pursed his lips. He then took out his wand and pointed it at Draco. "Let's arrest him. Keep Malfoy in prison so he can't hurt you."

"Ron, don't!" Hermione shouted. Even Harry stepped in between his best mate's wand and Draco who had also taken out his.

"Put it down, Ron." Harry said sternly. "We could arrest him, sure, but on what grounds? He'd be let out by tomorrow afternoon and it would've served no purpose. We have to think of something else."

Ron stared past Harry and met Draco's stare. He scowled and set his wand down. "What do we do then?"

"We talk to Alex. Try to get more information out of her." Hermione suggested, but her words only warranted quizzical and concerned looks.

"We can't risk going into the future, Hermione." Harry argued. "Besides, we wouldn't even know where to find her."

"She's my daughter. And as her mother she'd be with me. Alex looked no more than sixteen. Adjusting for…marriage and actually having her we could go a year or two before that. Hopefully it'll be the time before…before I die. We could figure out what's going on then."

"But the _risk_ , Hermione-"

"The risk would be for Malfoy and me, not for you or Ron."

At that Draco's ears perked up considerably. He side-glanced at her as she continued addressing her friends. "Neither you nor Ron should be there. Malfoy and I will go."

Ron eyed both her and Draco as he immediately began protesting. "Hermione, you can't be serious-"

"Alex is my daughter, Ron, and Malfoy kills me." Hermione said flatly. "We're the two players in this game and therefore the ones that will be going. You and Harry need to go to the Ministry and get us a time-turner."

"I thought they were all destroyed?" Draco questioned, but Harry told him no.

"Some are still there for safe keeping." Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The Ministry won't notice if one is missing."

"I'll have Avery take you to a Floo and I'll make sure the barriers are down by the time you return."

When Avery came Harry and Ron went with him. Hermione and Draco stayed in the dungeons, both laying their eyes on the cell that once held Alex. Draco wanted to say something. It was an utter understatement to say that he felt uncomfortable around her. This was the woman he was supposed to murder for Merlin's sake. But before he could utter a single word, Hermione spoke first.

"How do you think it happened?"

Draco didn't look at her. He simply kept his eyes focused on the cell. "I don't think I want to know. We don't _have_ to know. Your death is about twenty years down the line. We'll change it. I won't kill you-"

"I wasn't talking about that." Hermione said as she turned to face him. "I meant Alex."

Draco had been determined not look at Hermione but he couldn't avoid it now. He took a harsh swallow and almost choked on his words. "W-what do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Malfoy. Aside from blatantly alluding to it, she looked…a lot like you. Ron was too freaked out about the prospect of me dying to notice. Harry…I don't know if he looked at her closely enough. But you and I know the truth."

"I guess we know how and why I was a bad influence on you." Draco chuckled. His laugh was short-lived as the darkness in his humor grew. "We were together." He became serious then and clenched his jaw. "However it happened, I can assure you that it won't now."

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked sadly. Draco took in her face and then scoffed.

"What? You _want_ to be with me?"

"Not at all." She said quickly. She didn't miss the flaring of his nostrils at the instant dismissal of dating him, but she didn't dwell on it. "I'm only questioning how you could have set eyes on Alex, a beautiful sixteen-year-old, and dismiss a future with her in it."

"Easy," Draco replied sourly. "In that future I kill my wife and the mother of my kid. And that kid, that… _beautiful_ sixteen-year-old wants to murder her father with absolutely no hesitancy. You didn't see her, Granger." He added, regret rising in his voice. "You saw a sweet girl wanting to avenge her mother's death. You want to know what I saw? A vengeful young woman who said the Killing Curse with the ease of Voldemort himself. With those consequences in mind, trust me, I'd rather not have her."

* * *

"If you guys want to find Hermione's future self, shouldn't you be using the time-turner at Hermione's place?" Ron was asking.

Hermione and Draco exchanged looks. They were all still in the dungeons with the time-turner chain draped over the pair. Technically speaking Ron was right. Of course there was no guarantee that Hermione would live in the same home almost two decades away. She and Draco knew this, of course. She would be living with Draco, most likely in Malfoy Manor. But Draco quickly spew the lie that they had come up with while they were waiting for Harry and Ron to return.

"Granger and I decided to go after my future self first." He informed them. "Find out what's going on and maybe even stop me. Better than putting the idea into Alex's head too early or worrying Granger's future self."

Ron looked to Harry who sighed in acceptance of Draco's explanation. Hermione took the time-turner in her hands and stared at it with trepidation. She turned it. She counted carefully so that the time-turner would take them a full twenty years into the future. They hoped that it wasn't too far into the future, but considering that they were each other's spouses, they figured that it would've take time for them to…grow to first like one another. To deal with their friends. To love one another. To get married. It was as Hermione was turning that she was thinking twenty years was too little, but it was too late. The world around them was reforming and what they saw was not what they expected.

They were still in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, but all of the cells were gone. The entire area had been expanded considerably and it was filled with people. Some they knew. Some they didn't. Whether they knew them or not, the gazes that they were getting were not happy ones. Many began to point. Others were whispering harshly. This wasn't good.

"We need to get out of here." Draco said to Hermione. They turned to leave, but they were quickly shoved by someone into a corridor that had once never been there. A door was slammed shut and soon they found themselves completely in the dark.

"I never thought that I could be so stupid." Came Draco's voice, but it wasn't that of the one that was still connected to Hermione by a time-turner chain. Light erupted from a wand and illuminated an older, more tired, and disheveled-looking Draco. His eyes were staring at the time-turner and he scowled at it. "You should know better than using a time-turner in such an open location!" He hissed.

"It's my bloody dungeon." Draco hissed back. "Nobody's supposed to be down here!"

"Well, they are now." Future Draco said hotly. He let out a frustrated groan and sucked his teeth. Hermione watched him closely as he did so, clearly aware that he not once looked her in the eye. "Alright, out with it. What are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to talk to Alex." Hermione said, but it was to his past self that Draco answered.

"How the hell do you know about Alex?"

"She paid me a visit." Draco told him. "Cute kid, but she tried to kill me. She claimed that I killed, Granger."

At that Draco's future self paused and finally let his eyes settle on Hermione. It was now more than ever that she didn't want him to look at her. He looked sad. His strong posture began to slump and he leaned his back against the door.

"…So we go through with it then."

"Go through with what exactly?" Hermione asked. Draco's eyes had filled with tears now, but he was too full of himself to let them fall. Instead he blinked them back, cleared his throat, and puffed up his chest to mimic self-importance.

"Our plan to kill you."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Well, not only does Draco really kill Hermione, it was a plan! What could've happened that he and whoever's with him would plan her death? That's the next chapter for you :). Thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows for the first chapter. It's much appreciated!

-WP


	3. Hard Advice

" _Plan?_ You have a _plan_ to kill me?" Hermione said in disbelief. "What the hell is happening that you'd want to kill me? And who are the others that more than one of you have a plan?"

"The refugees that you saw out there? Those are the 'others' that planned to kill you. _Are planning_." He corrected. "I and the rest of the inner circle have the final say, of course. I just… I didn't think we'd actually go through with it." Draco's macho persona was faltering yet again. He let his gaze fall to the ground and stay there. "I loved you, Hermione. And it's my fault that this happened."

"That _what_ happened? Alex said the same thing but that doesn't explain why my assassination is being planned."

Draco took a deep breath. "The Dark Arts. You become involved in the Dark Arts. It started with one book and one spell. That's all it took and you just went deeper and deeper. You had my help, naturally. Who else would have access to those books? I didn't realize what it was doing to you. Not until it was too late." His eyes turned to angry slits then as he scowled at both of them. "My advice to you? Stay the hell away from each other."

"That's it?" the Draco that came with Hermione huffed. "That's all you've got to say to us? I didn't think that I could be so cold. Granger's your wife, you idiot."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. A complete hypocrite he was being as he was willing to give up a future with their daughter in it not too long ago. Regardless of that, she looked to future Draco for his response –one that was quite unexpected.

"Hermione's not my wife, you twit. Alex was an accident. A happy one, but an accident nonetheless. I did what was right by both of them and let them live in the Manor. It wasn't until Alex was seven that I started falling for Hermione. And it was over those same, bloody books that helped cause this mess in the first place.

'I started to love her; to love you." Draco said to Hermione. "But you began to love the Dark Arts more. It doesn't end well for us, Hermione. And seeing that this is the consequence of us being together, I'd rather for it not to happen at all."

Hermione grew silent. An older, more experienced Draco, yes, but his mentality was the same. But she still couldn't believe that somehow she was the reason that dozens of people were strewn about Malfoy Manor's dungeons as refugees. The Draco that had come with her was standing next to her with the same thoughts running through his head. How on earth could _she_ , the pinnacle of all that was good and moral turn into someone that people feared? If anyone would turn to the Dark Arts it would've been him. Hell, it could've been Harry too with his vengeance-laden personality and need to prove himself –characteristics that were now dormant, but could be roused again if need be.

"Stop that!" The future Draco ordered the two of them. Both Hermione and the Draco from her time jumped at the unexpected bellow. The younger Draco cocked a brow.

"Stop what, exactly?"

" _Thinking_ ," He seethed. "I know you. The _both_ of you. Your minds are going like clockwork and you're thinking of ways to stop this from happening. Good. Do that. But not by time hopping all over the damn place to see what happens and then try to fix it. It doesn't work."

At that Hermione's eyes began to grow wide. Both Draco-s noticed this, but it was the older version who grew angry and yet remorseful when he understood that she had come to a horrifying conclusion.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" She asked. "It was no coincidence that you were there right when we appeared. You knew that we were coming."

The Draco standing next to her was bewildered, but he turned to himself for an explanation. It was clear that that explanation he didn't want to give, but his resolve told them that he knew he was going to have to say it anyway.

"Yes, I knew. I remember it clearly. I remember using a time-turner with Hermione and coming here, talking to myself. We had this conversation, more or less. And after this we had been determined to figure out exactly how and why this… _hell_ happened. We went back to different years, different places, just observing and never being seen. We figured that if we knew the events, we could stop it.

'Obviously it didn't work." Draco scoffed to himself as he stared at the pair. He then sucked and teeth and shook his head. "No, I take that back. The future may not have changed entirely, but it did in small aspects."

"In what ways?" Hermione prodded.

"Well, for starters, Alex was supposed to be a boy." He chuckled. "That had been an interesting turn for the both of us. But we had liked the name and stuck with it. But that's only the smallest of details that's changed." He sighed then and looked between the both of them, obviously trying to find a proper way to say his next words.

"It wasn't Alex who had come back in time to kill me. It was Harry."

" _Harry?_ "

"Imagine my surprise." Draco said as he thought of it as a fond memory. "I thought it had been the present day version and that he had gone out of his bloody mind. I had sent Avery to fetch Hermione and Ron and that's when we had learned of the future."

"…If the future changed once it could be changed again." Past Draco said, but his future self's eyes grew narrow as he rounded on him.

"Open your bloody eyes! Did you forget what you saw out there? Things have changed, yes, but they were only bumps in the road and the future still held." Draco turned on Hermione then and pointed a finger at her. "'Changing it requires more than just one pebble drop into water. It can still even itself out and have the same end.' That's what you said, Hermione."

Hermione stood with her mouth slightly agape as, yes, that's what she had said to the Draco who was standing beside her. Future Draco ran a hand over his tired face and frowned. "Going through this future _twice_ now, first through time-turner and then actually living it? I've realized that this future is meant to be. And maybe…maybe staying away from each other won't work either. But I know for damn sure that together the future is a catastrophe.

'Go home." Draco ordered. "Go back and leave each other alone. Don't make me live through this a third time."

Draco watched his future take a small clear jaw from a shelf and use his wand to create a flame. He put it back on the shelf and then left after giving them one last look. Hermione turned to her fellow time-traveller and frowned. He saw the look in her eyes and knew that she was contemplating greatly on how far back to turn the rings on the time-turner. He casted his gaze down at his feet.

"…Don't you want to see it?" She asked him. Draco looked at her and felt a heavy weight on his chest.

"We already have." He told her. "We have and we tried and you still end up dead. Who's going to come back to try to kill me next? Weasley? And maybe we'll have twins and name them Alex and Alexandria." Draco sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It was too much. "Let's do what he – _I_ said. We'll stay away from each other. How hard can it be?" Draco stared at her and then forced a smile that was heavy-laden with anxiety. "I don't even like you that way."

"You don't have to like someone for accidents to happen." Hermione reminded, averted her eyes and then gave the time-turner twenty spins.

* * *

Draco didn't speak much when he and Hermione got back. Regardless she did what he had hoped she would do: lied to her friends. Quite frankly he thought that he would have to force her to do it. He didn't think that the lies would blatantly roll off of her tongue with such expertise. But she was a smart woman. She knew how they would handle the news and who knew what kind of reactions they had would affect the future? Simply "time-hopping" as his future self had said it and seeing what the future held had caused him to have a daughter instead of a son and fuel her with enough anger to want to kill her own father; not to mention destroy her own existence. The thought of it threw chills down his spine.

"I guess here's to never seeing you again, Malfoy." Ron said. It was neither a direct statement, sneer, nor taunt. It was a simple fact that Draco nodded to as he watched him leave via Floo. Harry followed after. Hermione stood in his fireplace with the Floo powder in her hands and didn't move. Draco felt compelled to throw in Floo powder and send her away himself, but eventually she did it. When she was gone Draco sighed.

Twenty years was a long time. Draco doubted very much that he could stay away from Hermione for that long. It wasn't that he longed to be with her. Far from it. But he wasn't about to up and leave the country so he could be sure never to see her again. And the wizarding community was but so large that he could avoid her. But then again it didn't have to be for that very long, did it? Only long enough for certain milestones not to happen. They hadn't gotten married, so that was one thing. It seemed that the major factor in their being together was Alex. Draco scoffed. He couldn't imagine being close enough to kiss Hermione, let alone sleep with her. His future self had said Alex had been an accident. He was more than sure now that that "accident" had to have involved an intoxicating substance of some sort. Draco's eyes gravitated to the door of his entertainment room and he thought of the minibar that lay inside.

"Time to quit drinking."

* * *

 **Author's note:** So I'm going to be without internet sometime this week, so I decided to post early! I couldn't let you guys go without the next chapter past Tuesday. That would be mean of me.

First Alex, now Draco himself. Everyone's so determined to keep Hermione and Draco apart and, in retrospect of the terrible future, they're kind of right. But do you really think just avoiding each other will keep the future at bay? We'll see :)

Also big kudos to those of you who have been theorizing what's going to happen, why certain things are happening, etc. I love to read stuff like that and see how close you get. Kudos once again!

-WP


	4. Dangerous Reunions

**May, 2007**

Hermione sat at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron in one of her nicest dresses. She felt awkward to be honest. She felt like she was there to attract a one-night stand when that was far from the case. She had been out on a date one of her coworkers had set her up on but it did _not_ end well. All he did was talk about himself and showed no significant interest in learning anything about her. When she had subtly pointed this out, however, he went on to accuse her of being an attention-seeker and went on bash her and her entire gender. Hermione had gotten up and left him then, right in the middle of dinner. It was all that she could do to avoid saying and doing very unladylike things.

It had been much too early to return to the Burrow where she was currently temporarily staying. Her home had somehow become infested with the wizarding equivalent of termites. They had the same MO, but they worked faster. Her house was being taken care of by the proper maintenance people and she was staying with Ron and his parents. Ron was also there temporarily, just until he could find a place that could properly house both him and his girlfriend upon her return from an extended business trip.

Hermione would be damned if she went back and had to explain to Ron why she had returned so quickly. And so, it was the Leaky Cauldron she had turned to for refuge. Her intentions were to find a secluded booth in a corner, but unfortunately they were all taken. There were a few tables in the middle, but she wouldn't be caught dead sitting out in the open, dressed to death, and looking like a lonely, almost thirty-year-old woman looking for someone to pick her up. Instead she had gone to the bar. At least this way she could keep her eyes away from those that may have been looking in her direction. She read the names of liquor bottles to pass the time.

Shortly before deciding that it was safe to return to the Burrow someone plopped himself down on the barstool next to her. He groaned exasperatedly and whistled to get the bartender's attention. "The strongest brand of firewhiskey you've got back there, would you?"

Hermione knew that Draco hadn't recognized her. He probably hadn't even looked in her direction. She could've gotten up and left without acknowledging him, but a simple hello after a three-year gap couldn't hurt, right?

"Long day?"

Draco huffed. "Like you wouldn't believe. I-" He paused when he turned to look at her. His eyes had fixed on her face and then glided over the rest of her. Once he had settled back onto her face the bartender had placed the drink he had called for in front of him. Draco didn't look away and grasped for it with his hand blindly. When he finally found it, the firewhiskey was down his throat in an instant. "Come here dressed like that often?"

Hermione glanced down at herself and then blushed furiously. Her dress, in her opinion, was modest. A simple black dress with a decently low front and that stopped just below mid-thigh, but came higher when sitting. But seeing as most people never saw her purposefully dressed attractively, it would come as a shock she supposed.

"I had a date."

" _Here?_ "

"Elsewhere," She explained. "It ended early and I wasn't ready to head home just yet."

"Well, word from the wise, coming here in that dress at this time of night isn't a very good idea." Draco chuckled as he signaled the bartender for another.

"I was just leaving anyway. A quick apparation and I'll be safe from the hooligans." Hermione joked poorly. Draco nodded and drained his shot glass just as quickly as the first. He lay more money than necessary on the counter and slid off of his seat.

"I'll leave with you."

"Oh, Malfoy, you don't have to-"

"I insist." Draco said as he readjusted his jacket. "I'll sleep better tonight knowing that I at least walked you to the apparation spot."

Hermione was surprised at his generosity but she took it regardless. They exited the Leaky Cauldron and made a left. It was dark and it was quiet. Even the cats in the passing alleys didn't make a noise. Neither did she nor Draco for that matter. They walked in silence alongside one another; Hermione with her hands cupped in front of her and Draco with his hands in his pockets. It had been a long time since they had seen one another, and the circumstances of their last visit had been none too pretty.

"Well, here you go." Draco said awkwardly as he presented the alley to her. Hermione smiled and thanked him. Just as she was about to disapparate Hermione stared past Draco's head. There was something behind him in the shadows, but she couldn't quite gage what.

"Get down!" Hermione shouted as she ducked and pulled Draco down with her. His arm was nearly wrenched out of its socket by the force of her tug, but the jet of red light that flew over their heads was a good reason not to be angry with her.

"Malfoy!" A voice cried from where the spell came from. "You owe me!"

Still low to the ground, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and they ran. Spells flew around them and garbage cans and old boxes blew up around them. The man attacking them kept calling out, and Draco took out his wand to cast a harmless defensive spell before shoving Hermione and himself into an abandoned storefront.

"What the hell was that about?!" Hermione shouted at him. Draco was staring between the cracks of the boarded up window. The man was still out there, wandering about unsteadily with his wand swishing and swaying. Draco sucked his teeth.

"Damn it, Lenny." Draco said. He huffed and turned to Hermione. "He's just pissed at me because he doesn't know a Grindelwald from a Dumbledore."

At that Hermione stared in disbelief and crossed her arms over her chest. "Cards? _That's_ why he nearly took our heads off? He's mad because you bested him in _cards?_ "

"He'll get over it. By rights I'd go out there and handle him but a wise man once said never duel a fool."

Hermione frowned. "There's no reason to call him a fool."

"He's drunk. He's a fool." Draco replied flatly. He sighed then and pocketed his wand. "He'll be gone in a bit. Either that or he'll pass out. Sorry for this, Granger."

"No, no, it's okay." Hermione resigned herself to say. "Serves me right going to the Leaky Cauldron of all places at this time of night."

Draco smirked, remembering his words. Silence fell over them again as Lenny could still be heard. He was becoming more belligerent now. At this rate he'd black out and drop to the ground before actually leaving on his own.

"I heard you got married." Hermione said suddenly. Draco had been so lost within his thoughts that her sudden talking had surprised him. He nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, almost two years now." Draco coughed and gestured to her. "And you, you're…obviously not."

Hermione laughed nervously. "No, no I'm not. As my friends put it I work too hard, too much, and enjoy it. To be honest I never saw myself as the marrying type. And if I did marry I always thought I'd be thirty-five the earliest when it happened so I guess… I guess I'm right on track."

Nervous laughter left her lips again and Draco smiled at it. Lenny couldn't be heard anymore and Draco peered out of the window again. It was just as he thought. Lenny was sprawled out on the cobblestone ground and his wand had rolled away from him.

"We can go now."

Hermione nodded. The two of them left their hiding spot and went back to where they were just before Lenny had surprised them. "Well…" She began.

"Well…" Draco continued. They both stood there, eyes averted, words failing. "I guess I'll see you in another three years then."

"Likewise," Hermione answered. With that she disapparated and Draco stared at the spot where she had just been. With an internal groan he stood where she had and disapparated. He found himself at Malfoy Manor's front door, the very place he had run away from just under an hour ago. He and the Misses had had an argument. All because she wanted to go to Milan for their upcoming anniversary and Draco told her that the hotel where she had wanted to stay was a financial scam and he wanted to stay somewhere else. She threw a hissy fit and he had left because he had wanted to talk to his wife, not have a screaming match with a child.

Draco slowly made his way throughout the Manor and to the West Wing. He had abandoned his bachelorhood of the East Wing when he had gotten married and moved into the twice as massive area of the Manor designed for two people. It was as he grew closer that Draco stopped. Now it wasn't that he was unaccustomed to the sounds that were coming from his bedroom, but he was usually involved in making them. His eyes narrowed to slits as he calmly walked towards the tall mahogany doors that opened into his bedroom.

When he walked inside the noises stopped. The look on Astoria's face was of utter horror. The face of her unknown lover's was ten times worse. Draco didn't yell. He didn't move. He didn't even snarl. He merely stood there, arms at his sides, and his eyes on the naked pair.

"I suggest you leave on your own before a coroner takes you out." Draco said to the man. He didn't need to be told twice. He literally fled from the bed and gathered his clothes from the floor. He ran past Draco, but once he had addressed him, his eyes had remained on Astoria. She continued to stay in the bed, the blankets pulled up and over her chest.

"So this is what you do when you don't get your way?" He chided her. "Over a hotel?"

"…You're not usually back so soon when we fight." Astoria answered softly. Draco's eyes flickered dangerously as he clenched his fists.

"You've done this before, have you?" Draco accused more than asked. When she didn't answer Draco inappropriately laughed. It seemed to have scared her when he did, but he could care less at this point. "Get out."

"W-what?"

" _Get out_." He repeated. "Go to your father's. Live with your sister. I don't care. But you're not staying _here_."

Draco didn't stay behind to see her leave. More than likely she was still sitting in bed, a hand over her mouth, ashamed of what she had done. Draco on the other hand walked away from the West Wing and made the long journey to his long-forgotten home. The East Wing had been dormant since he had gotten married, but thanks to the hired help the bedroom suite looked like he had only stepped away from it for part of the day. As he gazed upon it, he could do nothing but sigh and admit to himself how much he had missed it.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Usually I'm a once a week type updater, but I was in the mood and wanted to THANK EVERYONE for the amazing response to this story so far. So, you're welcome :)

So as for the story, no, this was not the alcohol-induced moment in which Alex comes into the world haha. Something told me that some of you might have been thinking this. Draco got married, but after the little spectacle his wife put on, he definitely won't be staying married much longer.

This chapter was somewhat of a filler, albeit a necessary one. After this the terrible future that Draco and Hermione starts to plague them yet again…

-WP


	5. A Dark Helping Hand

**October 2011**

Hermione was a sucker for puzzles. Always had been. And so as a Healer for St. Mungo's she worked in the Critical Care Ward where she tended to comatose patients. Most of them became that way because of magical mishaps. That department was tied for first place as patients' first stop whenever admitted to St. Mungo's. It was after Healers didn't know what more they could do that they ended up under Hermione's supervision. The other first place stop was the emergency room.

That had happened to be Draco's first stop and now she was standing over his bed.

Hermione was chewing on her bottom lip as her eyes stared at Draco over his chart. He had been attacked on his way home with a spell that no one knew how to counteract. That same spell was slowly killing him. If they didn't figure out what to do within the next few days Draco would be dead. But as she looked around at where they were, she sadly knew that he already was. The Critical Care Ward was the end of the line. A patient either came out of it here or they never did. Families usually paid to keep their loved ones in the ward for as long as they could in hopes that he or she recovered. Draco could certainly live out the rest of his days there with his wealth, but seeing as the spell was eating away at him…

"Hermione, Harry's here to see you."

Hermione turned to one of her fellow co-workers and nodded. She returned Draco's chart to its proper position and walked out into the hallway. Harry was standing there with his hands in his pockets and gave a grim smile.

"Anything?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.

"You could say that. We found the guy who attacked Malfoy."

"And?"

"He's dead."

Hermione's face fell. She opened her mouth to speak several times but fell short at every turn. "How?"

"Guess he felt bad about what he'd done." Harry sighed. "Drank so much he literally poisoned himself. Alan 'Lenny' Shultz was his name."

A flashback instantly crossed her mind to the time when she and Draco had both been attacked by someone named Lenny. If her memory served her correctly he had been a drunken mess back then as well. She swore and then ran her hands through her hair. "I can't help Malfoy without knowing what spell he used."

"No luck tearing through your books, huh?"

"None," She groaned bitterly. "At this rate Malfoy's going to die."

"Well, at least he wouldn't be able to kill you." Harry grimly joked. Hermione felt herself shrink in fright, but then Harry grabbed her shoulders and immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I just… It was a bad joke."

"…It's fine." Hermione said eventually. She took a deep breath and smiled to ward off the tension. "It's fine, really. I just wish he didn't have to die the way that it seems he will."

* * *

Peter always knew when something was wrong with Hermione. As for Hermione, it always irritated her that he knew when she was upset. Tonight she had just wanted to stew in her juices, but she could tell that she was ruining "quality time" and he wasn't going to let her get away with it.

"I just feel terrible that there's nothing I can do about it." Hermione finished after explaining why she was brooding. "With the others, I know it's a lost case. It's sad to say, but they are."

"And Malfoy isn't a lost case?" Peter asked. Hermione shook her head.

"The cure is out there, but I just don't know where to look. If I did he'd be up and talking already."

"Where have you looked?"

"In every last book I own." Hermione grumbled. "The ones here at home, ones at my office in St. Mungo's, the hospital library…"

"Might I make a suggestion? You say Malfoy was hit with an unknown spell, yes? How about checking unknown books?"

Hermione eyed Peter suspiciously, but all he could do was shrug and told her to think about it. She knew what he was suggesting, but it was something that she simply couldn't do. Most Dark Arts books were "unknown" for a reason and that same reason was why a Healer couldn't find them in any hospital. But the more Hermione thought about it, the more tempted she became. Her failures in finding a cure for Draco led her to believe that it was in a book she had banned herself from ever viewing.

Fears of the future had plagued her ever since learning about it. It had haunted her so much that her reading habits had drained significantly. She had been so afraid to read something that she shouldn't. To become interested in something that she shouldn't. But the only reason that Hermione had shown up the next day at Malfoy Manor and rang the doorbell was because the timeline had been broken. It had been seven years since Alex had tried to kill Draco and if the future still held then she should've been born by now. And so, there she stood, holding her breath as the front door was answered.

"May I help you?" A man in a butler's suit answered. Hermione was surprised. She had expected Avery the house elf to answer the door. Any house elf actually. She hadn't once fathomed the thought that Draco had people tending to his Manor.

"Hello," Hermione greeted. She was wringing her hands anxiously and pinched herself to stop. "My name is Hermione Granger and I'm a Healer at St. Mungo's. I've been tending to Draco Malfoy."

The butler arched a brow at her words. "Has he died?"

"No, no, he hasn't. But he will if I can't find a way to help him."

"And you're asking _me_ for that help?" The butler asked in confusion. Hermione sighed.

"Yes and no. I think Dark Magic was used to send him to the hospital and nothing I've read thus far can help him. I believe something in his home might."

At that the butler huffed. "I know what you're insinuating Miss Granger. And for your information this is a reputable home. You won't find what you're hoping for in here."

The butler tried to close the door on her but Hermione stuck her foot between the door and the doorframe to prevent it from closing. It hurt tremendously, but it served its purpose. "I didn't mean to offend your employer, but you and I both know that the Malfoy family line is far from reputable. Now I don't know about you, but I couldn't live out the rest of my life knowing that the key to Draco's survival was behind the very walls I lived and I did nothing to help."

The butler was obviously conflicted. Hermione stared at him, internally pleading that he would heed her words. She smiled shortly after as he opened the door wider and let her inside. "You mustn't tell a soul what you see or allude to how you came to your final conclusions on Master Malfoy's condition."

Hermione nodded as she followed the butler throughout the Manor. It seemed bigger than the last time she was here. But then again she had been confined to the dungeons and really hadn't had the chance to explore the home. They walked up the stairs and went neither left nor right. They continued straight down the corridor at the top of the landing and entered the sixth door on their left. Hermione was in awe of the expansive library that she and the butler had just step foot in. The entire room was lined with massive bookshelves and spaced out with large ceiling to floor windows in between them.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione turned. The butler had walked over to one of the shelves and was standing directly in front of it. "Are these it?" She asked. The butler merely smiled tauntingly and shook his head.

"No, it's not. This is merely the door."

"The door?" She repeated. She watched as the butler pulled back one of the books. As though straight out of a movie scene the bookcase in front of her disappeared. What lay behind it was incredible. It was a room just as big as the one they had previously stood. It was lined with the bookshelves just the same minus the windows and in the corner of the room was a staircase that could take someone both up and down. It was then that Hermione realized that it was a magically expanded area comprised of three floors.

"How in Merlin's name am I going to comb through all of this?!" Hermione exclaimed as she surveyed her surroundings.

"The catalog would be a good place to start." The butler lazily drawled. "It's over there, near the staircase. I will come check on you in an hour. _Nothing_ leaves this room." The butler warned and then turned his back on Hermione in order to exit the library.

 _One hour…_ It would take Hermione a full week to simply comb through the bottom half of one shelf. One hour? She sighed and walked over to the catalog. The allotted time would have to do. She sincerely doubted that the butler would let her come into this room again.

And so she got to work. She was overwhelmed with the catalog just as much as the library itself. However, she was happy to know that the library's floors were aptly divided. The top floor were books on theory, the floor she was on contained information on magical artifacts, and the bottom was a mixture of potions, spells, hexes, and curses. To hold so much Hermione expected the bottom floor to be much bigger than the others and she was right. As she went downstairs she found it to be nearly three times the size as the other floors and her heart sank lower. Hermione could see it. Centuries upon centuries of Malfoys placing their precious books here. And when there wasn't enough room they simply expanded it until it became the masterpiece that it was today.

There was a catalog on this floor as well which made deciphering which books were about potions, spells, hexes, and curses easier. Hermione already knew that Draco hadn't been attacked with a potion, but that still left different types of magic for her to go through. She sighed and did the only thing she could do: started reading.

Hermione combed through book after book, starting first with curses since she considered those to be the most malicious. At each page her heart leapt into her throat. Not because she thought she had found what had been used on Draco, but because of the amount of magic she never knew existed. It was amazing really. Old magic that had been long forgotten. Magic that defied laws of nature. And magic that was utterly terrible to use on any being, human or otherwise. And yet amidst her feelings Hermione couldn't help but feel impressed with what she read. The magic that she was reading about wasn't simple. It was complicated in theory as well as execution. She thought of the witches and wizards who not only invented these curses but also used them to be extraordinary.

Although she wasn't wearing a watch Hermione knew that more than an hour had passed. She counted her blessings as she worked diligently. Her distraction was only disturbed once when she heard the butler's voice from up above.

"Find anything useful?"

Hermione's teeth instantly set on edge, but she didn't look up as his comment was absolutely dipping with sarcasm and mocking. "Try asking me that again but this time with a straight face."

The butler chuckled. He had descended the stairs now and had casually strolled up to her, his eyes lingering over the books piled around her. "I suppose this means I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Hermione lifted her eyes from her reading in surprise. "You're going to let me come back?"

"You haven't finished your work so yes, I'll let you come back." The butler nodded. "What you said at the front door was…convincing. I've known Master Malfoy since his infancy. If he were to die I…" His words trailed. Hermione watched as his stoic composure faltered, but a quick clearing of his throat steadied him. "It would be most unfortunate."

Hermione smiled at him. "I'll be here same time tomorrow then."

* * *

Hermione learned that the butler's name was Welford and he met her at the door the next day. She had gotten there bright and early and picked up where she had left off. And when that day was a failure she went to work the day after and then straight to Malfoy Manor when her shift was finished. Draco was getting worse. Hermione had determined that he would be dead by the end of the week and so she worked with even more fervor. To her surprise even Welford resigned himself to sit across from her at the large, well-polished table and pulled books onto his lap. His gaze was looking even more worn than hers was.

"This is hopeless." Hermione suddenly sobbed tearlessly. She placed her head in her hands and massaged her eyes with the bottoms of her palms.

"You care for him." Welford commented. Hermione nodded.

"I care for all of my patients."

"I didn't say that you care for your patient. I said that you care for _him_."

Hermione paused. Her thoughts flickered to the Draco of the future. She thought of how sad he had looked when he spoke of her. How broken he had seemed when saying that he loved her, but essentially couldn't save her. Yes, she cared for him because at some point in his life he had cared for her.

"Miss Granger?" Welford called to snap her from her reverie.

"Sorry," She blinked. She smiled warmly and then brought her eyes back down to her book. Her eyes poured over the next few pages as vehemently as the others when she stopped. She picked up the book in her hands and clasped the book tightly. She had to reread it several times before she rose from her seat, knocking back her chair in the process. "I found it… I found it!"

Welford looked up at Hermione's exclamations in alarm and watched her as she gathered her things from the floor.

"I have to go; I found it!"

Hermione knew she couldn't take the book with her and let her eyes pour over the page once more so that the words could sear into her brain. After one last read she fled from the library. She ran through Malfoy Manor's halls and out the door without closing it. Once Hermione was beyond the gates she disapparated and found herself on St. Mungo's property. She knew better than to run through a hospital, but this was no time for formalities. Hermione ran past patients, visitors, and coworkers who called her name. She burst through the Critical Care Ward and surprised the two Healers that were there.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" One of them asked, but she ignored her. Hermione went straight to the cupboards in the backroom of the ward and began pulling ingredient after ingredient. She crushed what needed to be crushed with fury, cut what needed to be cut sloppily, but effectively, poured in what needed to be poured in with occasional spills, and then used her wand to bring everything to a quick boil. A speedy cooling spell calmed the potion and a second later it was in a glass bottle for easy transportation. Hermione was quickly back in the middle of the ward with her coworkers staring at her in bewilderment.

Hermione went over to Draco and opened his mouth. She tossed the potion in as best as she could without spilling until all the contents were down his throat. She stood still with the bottle in her hand and counted the seconds that passed in agony. She was holding the bottle so tight that her hand was numb. The bottle dropped and shattered the moment Draco opened his eyes and he sat up, gasping for air.

Draco stared wildly at his surroundings, his eyes eventually settling on Hermione while her own were glistening with fresh tears. "What's happening?" He asked. Hermione on the other hand couldn't for the life of her answer his question. There was only one thing that she found was able to leave her lips.

"It worked."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Draco's alive! But unfortunately Hermione had to turn to a Dark Arts book in order to help him. What was it that Draco's future self said? One book and one spell? Well, there goes the book…

-WP


	6. Unfortunate Decisions

**April 2012**

Draco stood in front of his ceiling-to-floor mirror as he slipped on an expensive deep navy blue jacket over his black button up shirt. Quite frankly all of his clothing was on the hefty side, so when he determined that something was expensive it _really_ had to be outside the comfort limits of his wallet. Draco smiled though because he looked pretty damn good in it. He had bought it solely because the woman in his life had seen it in a shoppe window and said that she liked it. No, she hadn't a single clue what it would cost him and no, he hadn't intended on buying it. It was only after passing the same shoppe two days later that Draco caved.

A pop resonated in his bedroom and Draco looked down to find Avery at his side. "Miss Hermione Granger is here to see you, Master Malfoy."

"Great," He smiled. "I'll retrieve her myself."

Avery nodded and disappeared just as Draco calmly, yet eagerly left his bedroom. He and Hermione weren't dating per se, but their relationship was still quite hard to place. Shortly after she had saved his life Draco had invited her out for a thank you dinner. It had been purely platonic seeing as she already had a boyfriend (not to mention any kind of romance between them they had banned against several years prior).

In December, Draco had been out Christmas shopping and bumped into Hermione again. She had looked a frazzled mess and it wasn't because she was trying to beat out other shoppers for the same gifts. Draco had taken it upon himself to buy her a drink and it was after she had thrown back two in a row that she told him she had broken up with her boyfriend recently. She apologized for crying and said that she knew he didn't want to hear her sob stories, but Draco waved her off. He had sat with her at the Leaky Cauldron for what seemed like hours and then took her home. Since that night they'd been out once a week, sometimes twice. They were innocent "dates," if Draco had dared to call them that. Lunches, dinners, tours around foreign cities, and cinema films that Hermione had eventually talked Draco into. Despite spending so much time together they had only kissed once and that had been the week before. Perhaps now that was why Draco had been anxious for tonight and why his heart was erratic when he finally laid eyes on her.

"You bought the jacket." Hermione smiled as she stared at his form at the top of the stairs. Draco felt his cheeks flush as he casually walked down the stairs.

"I couldn't resist." He replied as his feet touched the ground. He walked over and stood directly in front of her. She looked beautiful, really. It was in that instant that his mind began running ragged.

What should he do? Last week they had been standing by her front door and discussing the film they had just seen. He had said something that made her laugh and once she had finished that had done it. Hermione's laugh had resolved into a short fit of giggles. And when she had calmed down her lips had pursed themselves in such a way that Draco couldn't help himself. He had leaned forward and kissed her. It had been quick, yet meaningful. He wondered if he should do it again. Would it be appropriate to do it now? Or maybe wait until after dinner?

"So where's this special dinner you have planned?" Hermione suddenly asked. That snapped Draco out of his thoughts completely and then he grinned as he presented his arm to her.

"If you'll please follow me."

Hermione slipped her arm over his and followed him down the hall to their left. She had stepped foot inside Malfoy Manor many times in the recent months, but had yet to go down this particular hall. When they reached the end of the corridor she found that it led to a wonderful patio that spanned the entire west side of the Manor. It was incredible. A night gala could be held on that patio and hold up to a hundred people, easy. The entire patio wasn't meant for them though. Draco had secluded themselves to the extreme left of it that overlooked a manmade stream and several beds of flowers. There was a table set with candles and food and a charmed orchestra playing music in the air.

"It's official." Hermione said as she took in everything. "You're officially the most romantic man I've ever met."

Draco chuckled as he pulled out Hermione's chair. "You know, you think that's a compliment, but it's not."

"How so?"

"Because now that means I have to top the next date."

"Well, you've always liked challenges." Hermione commented. Draco could do nothing but agree. He could see it now, how he would spend this week preparing for the next. It would plague him. He'd run down a list of the things that she liked and try to figure out how many of them he could pile into one evening. Each time he spent with her he had wanted it to be extraordinary. Money was no objection. He would give her the world if she asked. It was funny. He'd do all of this for someone he'd only kissed once.

"Dinner was lovely, Draco. Thank you." Hermione said happily once they had finished eating.

"I'm glad. And now you have to do one thing for me." Draco smiled mischievously. Hermione furrowed her brows at him as the light music of the orchestra grew louder and he rose out of his seat. He gave a gentlemanly bow and presented an open hand to her.

"You, Miss Granger, owe me a dance."

Draco watched as Hermione's face positively drained of color but he could only smile broader at it. A promise was a promise. They had gone out to a nightclub two months ago and Draco had whined terribly because she had clearly objected to dancing. "I don't dance in public and I certainly don't dance to _that_ " had been her reply. The "that" in that scenario had been a salsa rhythm she later admitted she wouldn't have known what parts of her body to start moving if she tried. But now Hermione couldn't object. There was no salsa. There were no other people. It was just him and her and it was for that reason that she eventually slipped her hand into his.

Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close. He held her other hand tightly yet with great care. He closed his eyes when Hermione laid her head on his chest and her vanilla scent wafted under his nose. The music would never end. Draco had charmed it so it played continuously. He wondered then how long it last, their dance. He didn't count the seconds nor the ensuing minutes. When Hermione raised her head to look at him Draco didn't hesitate this time around. He leaned down and kissed her. It was delicate much like the last time, but it didn't stay that way for long. Passion filled it. Their tongues danced. Hermione's arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers played with the edges of his hair. Draco's arms were fully around her waist, gripping her body tightly. He had completely forgotten where they were and had tuned out the music that was still going on in the background.

His lips slowly moved away from hers and he smiled briefly at the whine she emitted because he had done so. The whine was replaced with a complacent moan when he resumed his kiss just under her chin. He kissed alongside her throat and across her collarbone. He was seconds away from disapparating with her to the East Wing of the Manor when Hermione placed a finger under his chin and made him look at her.

"We shouldn't…" She said softly. The excitement in Draco's eyes died slowly. She frowned because she knew what he felt, _felt_ what he felt, and wanted what he wanted. But she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. "The future still scares me."

"Time isn't the same." Draco argued. "If it was then Alex-"

"Better safe than sorry."

Draco felt their perfect night shattering all around him. He wanted nothing more than to continue what she had stopped. He could imagine it; what they would do and how it would sound. But despite his urges he could not and _would not_ force her to do what she didn't want to. Draco sighed and nodded.

"I'll take you home."

Draco disenchanted the orchestra and took Hermione's hand in order to lead her away from the patio. They walked out of the Manor together and once beyond the gates they disapparated. As many other nights they stood outside of Hermione's front door. Neither spoke. It was taking Hermione endless minutes to find her keys and so she grabbed her wand instead in order to open her door. Upon hearing the click she gave a sigh of relief and then looked at Draco. He was taking a great interest in her bushes and she smiled at him.

"The door's open."

Draco brought his gaze back to her and then nodded. "Oh, good, good… I guess I'll owl you and we can figure out what to do next week."

"That sounds great."

"Okay,"

Draco gave Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek and prepared to disapparate. He was a second away from doing so when she frantically told him to wait. He turned suddenly, thinking that something was wrong, but she merely stood there, nervously twiddling her thumbs.

"If you want and _only_ if you want… C-could you stay? Just…if you do no…no accidents, okay?"

Hermione didn't wait for an answer. She went inside and left the door slightly ajar. Draco stared at it and soon walked in after her. After closing the door he looked up and saw her standing in the archway that lead down the hall. He'd been down that hall more than once, but it was only to use the restroom. He took the journey past that room for the first time and followed Hermione to last room on the right.

"I'd like you to turn around, if you don't mind."

Draco agreed and did as she asked. He felt ashamed of the thoughts running through his mind at the scene he was missing out on. To stop he started counting dragons. He had imagined twenty-five of them until a tap came on his shoulder. When he faced her again she was in her nightwear and it was just as he had imagined: simple. A silk stripped pajama top and silk bottoms to match. She stood modestly with her hands cupped in front of her. Draco thought she looked innocent. He slipped off his jacket and placed it behind a chair. His shoes came next and he placed them by the door. Hermione had already crawled into bed by the time he was finished and Draco joined her. He lay behind her and placed an arm around her. There were no words to describe how good it felt just to be there. It felt even better when Hermione's hand slipped over his and their fingers locked.

It was decided. This was better than what he had originally wanted.

* * *

Draco woke up to the smell of breakfast. He kept his eyes closed and just sniffed the air trying to decipher the different things Hermione was putting together. When he did open his eyes and saw what time it was he nearly cursed. _Damn she's an early riser…_ He thought to himself as the clock on her night table read seven-thirty. He wondered if should stay in bed. He could wait for her. She would finish breakfast, walk into the bedroom, and do one of two things. Either she'd stand by the doorway and watch him or she'd creep up to the bed and whisper in his ear that breakfast was ready. Draco had imagined both scenarios in his mind several times for the morning and debated which one he preferred. Instead he sat up. He'd go to her and surprise her in the kitchen so long as she wasn't holding a scolding frying pan.

With a yawn Draco stretched and mistakenly knocked over the alarm clock. He bent over to pick it up when he noticed other things on the ground. They were bits of parchment of various sizes clearly ripped off their appropriate rolls in haste. He wasn't nosy nor was he curious, but it was some of the words that caught his eye that made him read through a few. The more he read the more panicked and angry he became. Draco threw himself out of the bedroom and stormed his way down the hall until he found Hermione in the kitchen dabbling with various pots and pans.

"You're awake!" Hermione said gladly. "Honestly I thought you'd be asleep for at least another hour, but I'm glad you're up. Maybe you could force me to stop with the cooking. I know I've made too much, but I just-"

"What the hell is this?" Draco asked as he held up the pieces of parchment from her bedroom. Hermione paused. She stared at his hand more than at him and swallowed.

"Notes on some parchment. That's all."

"Yeah, they're notes alright. Notes on Dark Arts spells. Where did you get this?"

Hermione swallowed yet again and approached him slowly. "Draco, I-"

"Where!" Draco demanded. The shout jumped her and she gasped in fright, but he wasn't letting up. Her next set of words came out at a stammer.

"Y-your l-library,"

"My library?" He repeated with a perplexed tone. It changed quickly however and he immediately went on the offensive. "Is that why you started going out with me? To gain access to my library? How the hell did you even find it?!"

"No, no, that's not what it was!" Hermione pleaded. "Welford showed me the library. I went there for the first time when you got hurt."

Draco's eyes grew wide. "…Is… _Is that how you healed me? You used Dark Magic on me?_ "

"Dark Magic doesn't heal it only destroys, you know that. I'm…I'm not the clever witch that everyone thinks I am." She said suddenly. She had taken up her nervous habit of twiddling her thumbs again and was doing it viciously. "The answer isn't always there, Draco, in my head. Sometimes I have to look where I don't want to and your library happened to be one of those places. I found out what was used against you and the antidote for it in one of your books. Please don't be upset with me because I looked into unsavory material to save your life."

"I could never be upset over that." Draco replied quietly. "I would be dead were it not for you, but that's not what I'm upset about." He drew closer to her and held up the handful of parchment pieces in front of her face. " _This_ is more than what was needed to cure me. It must've taken hours, days… And while you were there you took notes. _These_ are said notes. Why do you have them?"

"I'm a Healer, that's why. I see and I hear a lot. Most of what comes through St. Mungo's I can fix on my own, but some of it I can't. The notes gave me insight! I haven't put any of what I read into practice I swear!"

"Not yet!" He yelled at her. "One book, one spell, Hermione. That's what my future self said. You already have more than one book. Can't you see that you're playing into the future's hands?"

Hermione frowned. "Just last night you were saying that time isn't the same. What, were you just saying that so I would feel comfortable enough to sleep with you?"

Draco was taken aback. He raised a quivering finger to her and shook his head with the utmost sadness in his voice. "That's not true and you know it. And now I have to stop this."

Hermione looked frightened. "What do you mean? Draco?"

Draco took in the terrified expression on her face. He wondered how it could happen. How could this sweet, caring woman transform into a monster? He could burn the notes in his hand, hoping that it would be enough, but he knew it wouldn't. He couldn't stop seeing Hermione, not now. He liked her too much, daresay even loved. She would come to the Manor. She would go to the library behind his back with Welford's help. It would accelerate from there and then it would be too late.

"Draco?" Hermione called again. "Draco, don't do this. What are you thinking?"

He stared at her blindly. With a grim expression on his face he leaned forward to give Hermione a kiss on the lips and then place a delicate one on her forehead. "Don't worry about it. You won't remember anyway."

His words didn't soothe Hermione, he knew. They weren't meant to. They were meant to be an explanation for the things that would soon come to pass and what she didn't know had happened. Draco left the notes that were in his hands on the kitchen counter, soon after fleeing into her bedroom to retrieve his shoes and his jacket. When he came back out he didn't even say goodbye. He simply walked over to her fireplace and quietly whispered his destination so Hermione wouldn't hear.

He needed to see Harry. He had to get his hands on a time-turner.

* * *

 **Author's note:** So, some good things between our favorite pair and then…some bad. I felt really bad for the both of them, especially Draco since he's literally about to try to change an aspect of their lives to keep Hermione out of his library. And they were so sweet with each other!

Oh well…

BIG shout-outs to the crazy amount of support. I feel compelled to thank you with each chapter because, let's face it, a story needs followers, reviewers, those who favorite, and guests alike :)

Until next time!

-WP


	7. Unexpected Changes

Harry was sitting at his desk and rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was a new habit of his as of late whenever he had a stack of forms he had to sign off on. As the Auror Head he mostly spent his time behind a desk. It made Ginny happy to know that he wasn't out in the field and increasing his chances of getting hurt. It was good for him, he knew, but it was times like these where Harry wished he could be running around, wand brandished, and coming back to the Ministry to fill out his field report. Instead he was reading them.

Sighing, Harry repositioned his glasses and brought his attention back to his work. It was after the first sentence was read that Draco stormed into his office and took him completely by surprise.

"I need a time-turner, Potter."

Harry hadn't expected a hello, but he certainly hadn't expected him to say that either. "What do you mean you need a-?"

"You know what I mean." Draco said firmly. Although neither Harry nor Ron had been told about what the future held when they had last used a time-turner, Hermione had let it slip some time later. To be talking about this to Harry now made Draco's chest feel heavy. "Hermione's starting on a dangerous road and it needs to be stopped now before we can't do anything about it."

Harry blinked twice. "Hermione?" He repeated. It wasn't because he hadn't properly heard his best friend's name, but for the fact that it was Draco who had said it. His brows knit closely together as he stared at him. "Since when are you so first-name friendly?"

Although matters were pertinent Draco slowed his rapid thoughts. He felt guilty and knew that his face showed it. "I hadn't expected for her to tell you, but…we've been seeing each other."

Harry's face fell. Where he was first confused, he had gone to shock. And once the shock was over he quickly became angry and rose from his seat. "Then whatever's happened is _your fault_. You were supposed to stay away from her. We all agreed!"

"Don't go pinning this one me!" Draco shouted at him. "Hermione had access to my libraries long before she started seeing me. She found them when I got cursed."

"When you got cursed? How did she-?"

"She knew that Dark Magic was what was killing me. She didn't know enough of it so she went to my Manor because she knew that's where she'd find her answer."

Harry sighed and resumed massaging the bridge of his nose. "…Must you use a time-turner?"

"You know where this leads."

"I know that, but meddling with time isn't wise. It wasn't when Alex did it and it certainly isn't now. What if the changes you make end up making things worse?"

"You remember what Hermione told you. What could be worse than that?"

Nothing was worse than that. Harry bit the inside of his jaw and took a deep breath as he walked out from behind his desk. He passed Draco and used his wand to reveal a wall safe. One non-verbal spell later and the safe door was opened. Harry turned to Draco with the time-tuner in his hand and hesitantly gave it to him.

"You keep the time-turners in your safe?" Draco asked credulously. Harry shook his head.

"Just the one. It's the same one you and Hermione used. I never put it back with the others in case we ever needed it." Harry stared at Draco as he slipped the time-turner over his neck. "After all this time I didn't think that we would. How far will you go back?"

"Just before I got cursed. I'll tell myself not to leave home; to avoid the situation altogether."

"You'll remember you know." Harry warned. "When you come back time will have changed but you'll remember what you've done. That you and Hermione..."

"Cared about each other?" Draco finished. He looked down at the time-turner in his hands and sighed bitterly. "I know."

The longer Draco stood the more he wanted to give the time-turner back to Harry, return to Hermione and simply wipe her memory of ever having seen his libraries. It could work. It was possible. But he knew that he could never put a wand on Hermione. With a push within himself Draco left Harry's office by Floo and went home. He knew exactly where he had been just before leaving home to his weekly card game with Lenny. A quick stop in the past and everything should be alright. At least that's what he hoped.

* * *

 **August 2016**

Draco roamed the halls looking for Hermione. He had checked all the Wings of the Manor except for the South because he had hoped she would be anywhere but there. Sadly it had become her new home as of late. He took a deep breath and entered the library that his dear love of his life often frequented and opened the doorway to her beloved sanctuary. He would find her on the bottom floor as it was her favorite. Draco stood at the top of the stairs and looked down, finding her sitting in the armchair she had put in an eternal "dibs" and slowly turning a page.

"There's no need to stand from afar, Draco." Hermione called from below. It chilled him to the bone how she was able to do that without even looking at him. Draco straightened himself out as he descended the stairs and took up the other seat at the large table.

"You seem to be enjoying your latest treasure."

"Ecstatically,"

"Mhmm," Draco mused as he watched her solid face. It never changed while she was reading. She simply took in word after word as though they were just that, _words_. It was how emotionally detached she was when reading that seemed to frighten him most. "Alex wanted you to read to her before bed but you were nowhere to be found."

"Oh, Draco, you knew where to find me." Hermione frowned. She had lifted her gaze then and Draco smiled. If there was one thing to take her concentration away from reading, it was their daughter.

"Huge Manor, remember?" Draco prompted. "By the time I sent Welford to fetch you Alex would've been asleep. And you know I couldn't send Avery down here."

"Yes, I know." Hermione sighed. The hidden library was banned from house elves, both by magic and verbal command. "I'll make sure to schedule reading time around Alex's nap and bedtime schedules."

"No Draco schedule?"

Hermione grinned at him. "I thought that would be a given."

Draco smiled and then stood. "Well in that case, I think now is absolutely perfect for Draco time."

"Hmm, someone's forgotten what day it is."

Draco furrowed his brow. It didn't take long to realize the day and then he nodded in comprehension. "Right, I forgot. Your _friends_ are coming."

"Oh, come on, don't get like that." Hermione brooded as she closed her book. "They're only here once a month."

"And the day after I have the help clean the Manor even more than necessary to cleanse it from the miscreants I wouldn't dare associate myself with." Draco scowled viciously. Hermione narrowed her eyes and huffed.

"Those _miscreants_ haven't graced you with their presence even once, so I don't know why you're snarling like a dog with his tail shot up in the air."

Draco clenched his jaw at Hermione's comment and her mannerisms dared him to say anything against it. She let the corners of her mouth gently rise in satisfaction when she knew he had nothing more to say and calmly strode alongside the table. When she reached Draco her gaze had softened. She placed two soft fingers under his chin and repositioned his face to look her properly in the eyes.

"It's a friendly discussion group, Draco." Hermione smiled gently. Her hand caressed his cheek and she sighed. "I know you disapprove of the subject matter, but talking never hurt anyone. Besides, the timeline is broken."

"What happened to being safe than sorry?" Draco said, repeating words that she had once said to him. Hermione pursed her lips. It was her turn to have nothing more to say and she simply let her hand fall from his face and she causally made her way up the stairs.

Draco stood rooted to the spot until he checked his watch. He had fifteen minutes. He left the library, making sure that the door was properly sealed up. Only a Malfoy could open the door and Merlin forbid it was left open and one of Hermione's _friends_ found it and started snooping around. Sure, Hermione could open it herself, but he hoped that at the very least she respected his wishes about keeping the library _solely_ as Malfoy's eyes only. Once secure Draco made his way to the East Wing of the Manor. It had been three years since he had step foot within this part of the Manor, but he knew that going to the West Wing would be pointless.

Draco slowed his walk the closer he grew to the long-abandoned bedroom. He was early and therefore there was no need to rush. By the time he entered the bedroom and closed the door after him there were only a few seconds left to go. He stood with his back towards the door, hands cupped behind him. He could feel a disturbance in the air around him and he took a deep breath as the middle of the room became distorted. A figure was appearing out of thin air and soon Draco was seeing a younger version of himself who looked utterly surprised at what was going on.

"You know, I had hopes that I had learned to use a time-turner properly and that I wouldn't be seeing you tonight." Draco told his four-year younger self. The other Draco was bemused as he gazed upon a Draco that pretty much looked the same as him with the exception of a faint beard.

"W-what?"

Draco chuckled and walked forward as he gestured to the time-turner around his younger self's neck. "Well, for one thing I'm clearly not getting myself ready to beat Lenny's arse in cards. You moved the rings forward, not back. And one too many times, I might add."

Draco swallowed nervously as he took in his older self. He was right. He definitely wasn't where he was supposed to be. If Harry knew what had just happened, he would kill him. "Is it still worth it?" He asked himself.

The older Draco knew what he was asking. He had been in his position four years ago and of course knew that he would be seeing himself in his old bedroom tonight. Unfortunately he knew the answer that he would have to give. "You still have to go back and stop yourself from seeing Lenny."

"H-how is Hermione?"

Draco frowned. "She's not wicked, but she's not our Hermione anymore. I can see her changing and I don't know how to change her back. I had married her in hopes to keep an eye on her a year after the incident with the notes on the parchment. But with the Malfoy name…"

"She gained access to the libraries without help."

Draco nodded. "Luckily Alex is keeping her pretty grounded."

The younger Draco's ears perked up. "Alex?"

Draco smiled. "She's two now."

"Hearing that doesn't make what I have to do any easier." The younger Draco scowled. His older self shrugged and sighed.

"It is what it is unfortunately. Now let's get you out of here. If my memory serves me correctly, Avery will be popping in here in a few minutes and he doesn't need to see you."

Draco took the time-tuner of his younger self in his hands and spun the proper rings. He let it go quickly and young Draco watched the world around him disappear. It was good timing too as he could faintly hear Avery appear into the room.

* * *

 **October 2011**

Draco found himself yet again emerging in his bedroom. This time around, however, he knew that he was in the right time. He saw the less-than-one-year-younger version of himself taking out a small satchel of galleons from a concealed wall safe. It was his gambling pile.

"Don't even think about seeing Lenny tonight." Draco said and scared his younger self to death. The satchel that was in his hands fell to the floor and galleons began rolling everywhere.

"What the hell?" His younger self exclaimed, but Draco rolled his eyes.

"After everything that's happened to you people from the future still freak you out?"

Young Draco sucked his teeth as he used his wand to collect all of his fallen money into the satchel. "Well it's not something I had hoped to experience again." He paused then and eyed himself curiously. "You're not here to commit a new form of suicide are you?"

It was then and there that Draco couldn't wait until he returned to his own time. He had decided that he absolutely _hated_ talking to himself. "No. I'm here to tell you to keep your arse home. In fact, don't ever see Lenny again if you can help it."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's a sore loser and he's going to curse you after the game. You end up pretty hurt and go into St. Mungo's Critical Care Ward. Hermione's your Healer."

The younger Draco cocked a brow at him. "So it's 'Hermione' when you're from is it?"

" _Focus_ , damn it." Draco grumbled. "She's the one that's going to take care of you. And when she can't figure out what's wrong Welford will give her access to the library."

"…Welford should've known better." Young Draco said softly.

"He's family, however distant. He didn't want to see me – _us_ dead. We can't give her the opportunity."

"I must've cleaned Lenny out good if he tried to kill me."

"Not really," Draco said in a nonchalant tone. "He's just a belligerent drunk with a terrible temper. Just do what I said."

"Not a problem."

Draco nodded and took a deep breath as he spun the rings of the time-turner in his hands. He made sure to go forward and was positive he was in the right year once everything around him stopped spinning. Just to make sure he grabbed the desk calendar that he always kept on his nightstand and looked at the date. It was magically enhanced to circle the correct date and Draco sighed a breath of relief when it read April 23rd 2012. He removed the time-turner from his neck and put it in his top drawer. He would return it to Harry tomorrow and that would be the end of it.

As Draco sat at the edge of his bed he began to wonder what life was like. He brooded mercilessly at the fact that Hermione was probably still dating Peter. And if not he was sure that the man in her life, if there was one, wasn't him. And what about himself? Did he have a girlfriend? Was he seeing anyone at all? Instant guilt crept up in him if he really was seeing someone. He himself only cared about one person and it was someone that he could never have.

"Or maybe I still can?" Draco mused allowed. She didn't have a reason to go to his library anymore. He would promise himself never to marry her so that it remained off-limits. He'd also warn Welford to never let her near it. It sounded perfect. First he'd have to find her.

"Lost in a daydream, are you?" Came Hermione's voice from the archway of his bedroom. Draco stared at her in surprise. However happy he was to see her, she was the last person he expected to be in his bedroom. His eyes instantly scanned her hand and looked for a wedding ring, but there wasn't any. What he _did_ see however still made his breath catch in his chest. Hermione looked down at what had caught Draco's attention and she sighed.

"This is the third time I've done it." Hermione explained as she walked over to him with the vial in her hand. "I poured the other two down the sink thinking that maybe I'd done it wrong."

"…Your magic is never wrong." Draco found himself saying. Somehow he and Hermione had still gotten together. But unlike the other reality he had originally lived, in this one she was pregnant.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Well, there's quite a bit of time-hopping going on here and, sure, Draco managed to stop himself from seeing Lenny, but it didn't do much good!

This is still a 10-chapter story, so the next three are going to be pretty "rocky" and lead up to the big conclusion. On another note, I shall be posting a new story called "Destined" either tomorrow or on Wednesday. Dramione as always where Draco's family history comes back to bite him in the butt. That's all I can say without giving away the whole story. I hope that you'll check it out :).

Thanks for reading everyone!

-WP


	8. New Vendettas

**January 2018**

Draco sat at a corner booth with two people he had once in his life never thought he would be having a drink with: Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. It was the sixth time since 2013 they had ever done this and always on the same date and _always_ with the same thoughts on their minds: another year. Every year on January 23rd the three of them got together to have a drink and somberly yet happily celebrate another year in which Hermione was still the woman that they had all loved. The first night they had done this it wasn't a plan. Elena Alexandria Malfoy had been born that night back in 2013 and although happy, Draco had left his girlfriend asleep in St. Mungo's so he could drink himself silly. When he had gotten there he realized that he wasn't the only one who had wanted to get drunk. Harry and Ron had been there too. Draco was about to turn and head home, but Harry prompted him to stay by asking the barkeep for a full bottle of firewhiskey and a third glass.

And now here they were years later; demolishing a bottle of well-aged firewhiskey and making sure everything was still properly secure.

"You're still standing firm about that, right?" Ron asked with a brow raised. Draco nodded as he tossed back a shot. To his surprise the liquid burned less ferociously than the previous three he had taken. Scoffing in his head, he decided that was probably why. His tongue and throat had to have been scorched beyond measure by now and numbed to every taste.

"You should see the way she looks at me though every time I shy away from the idea." Draco frowned. Harry shared his sympathy.

"I can imagine. Hermione was never one to be eager to marry until you. Unfortunately we can't risk it."

"Mhmm," Ron agreed. He then chuckled as he slugged down his fifth shot for the night. "Funny how you can have a moody wife without _actually_ having a wife."

Draco ignored him and went to pour himself another drink when he realized that the bottle was empty. Luckily for him the bartender had anticipated his needs and another appeared next to him as he set the old bottle down.

"What about Welford?" Harry asked. Draco pursed his lips as he knew neither he nor Ron would like the answer.

"He's moving back into the Manor. Just until the start of the summer." Draco added quickly, but that didn't assuage his acquaintances (friends'?) worries very much.

" _He's moving_ _in_?" Ron questioned with wide eyes. "What the hell for?"

"It's for Alex." He explained. Although the girl had a different first name, the young Malfoy absolutely despised it. When she was three and a half she had held her breath until her face turned blue because of it. Since then, her middle name had quickly become her first. "She's five now and has to start wand training."

"Wand training?"

Draco nodded. "It's Malfoy family tradition. Every Malfoy child begins at five; no real spells though. The wand used is merely for demonstrative purposes. Alex will learn proper pronunciation and wand movements. Welford will train her in that just as he trained me."

"Why can't you train her?" Harry suggested. "You've already learned it and she's _your_ kid."

"I thought about it, but as Welford so _elegantly_ pointed out in a letter he sent just before Alex's birthday, my foundation in magic is sloppy at best." Draco scowled. "He offered his services and I took them. After Alex is finished with that I'll take the training from there. More complicated wand movements, magical theory, Latin roots and other dead languages right up until she hits the Hogwarts express."

"Merlin…" Ron said breathlessly. "No wonder Alex nearly killed your arse. You trained her too damn good."

Draco smiled and reflected on said night when his daughter tried to murder him. The girl had had skill. If there was one thing he was going to preserve in the future, it was Alex's mastery of magic.

* * *

By the time Draco got home he was at the borderline just past tipsy. Although he had had quite a bit to drink, he was no lightweight. Not to mention he had killed enough time to sober up some so that he didn't end up getting splinched on his way home.

Once inside Malfoy Manor Draco made his way to the West Wing. Along the way he stopped at the bedroom that was three doors down from the suite that he shared with Hermione. Inside that bedroom he found both of his girls laying on the bed that fit Hermione's body size perfectly, but was obviously much too large for the five-year-old girl. Alex was under the covers sleeping and hugging her favorite stuffed animal. Hermione wasn't under the covers but she too was asleep, a child's book in her hands.

This was a scene that Draco had grown accustomed to seeing. Hermione would read Alex a bedtime story and when the girl had drifted to sleep, her mother wouldn't leave. She'd stay there atop the sheets and watch her daughter sleep until she had unintentionally fallen asleep as well. Sometimes Draco would wake her. Sometimes Draco would levitate her out of the room and carefully set her down on their own bed. And sometimes, like tonight, Draco would quietly edge out of the room, close the door, and leave the loves of his life alone in peace.

Draco sighed happily as he reached his bedroom. He was going to sleep well tonight, he knew, because his body grew tired as he eyed his bed. Draco slipped off his coat and lazily slipped it onto an ottoman in the corner of the room. He pulled his sweater over his head and contemplated whether he should take off the white t-shirt he had on as well. With a shrug of his shoulders he kept it on and went on to exchange his pants for sleepwear bottoms when the air around him felt off. He paused as he knew the feeling. He _remembered_ the feeling. Draco's heartrate accelerated to dangerous levels as the spot in front of him began to morph. He was no longer in his bedroom alone.

Alex was all grown up. She definitely wasn't sixteen as the last time she had paid him a futuristic visit, but she wasn't very adult-like either. At most she had to be nineteen, twenty. Regardless of age however, Draco could see in her eyes the vendetta she held in her heart, and he eyed her hand itching towards a concealed wand.

"Elena Alexandria Malfoy, you put that wand on me and so help me Merlin I'll ground you for the rest of your life. I don't care how old you are or _when_ you're from."

That stopped Alex dead. She stared at her father in surprise and relaxed her hand at her side and huffed. "Serves me right for stumbling upon the man who trained me, right?" Despite his warning Alex whipped out her wand anyway. Draco pulled out his but found it leaving his fingers just as quickly as he did. It was in Alex's left hand in an instant as well as, quite impressively, the two other spare wands in the room.

"Killing me won't solve anything, Alex."

"I know." She said softly. The wands she dropped on the ground behind her and she held her father's gaze. "That's why I'm not here to kill you. I'm here for my mother."

Draco's eyes widened as he instinctively eyed behind him, knowing that Hermione was still in young Alex's bedroom. " _Why?_ "

"You already said it. Killing you won't solve my problems. _Anyone's_ problems. Whether it's your death, keeping Welford away, kicking Lenny out of your life, or never marrying mum, _it doesn't matter_. The future still ends up the same."

"How do you know about Lenny? How do you about any of things that I tried to do-"

"I overheard you talking when I'm from." Alex explained. "Mum's dead. You and Uncle Ron were having a drunk pity party."

"What about Pott –Harry?"

"Dead. He died while fighting mum and took her out with him."

Draco's heart sank. He didn't know what was worse. Finding out that Hermione was dead _again_ or the fact that Harry had killed her. His legs felt weak and he sluggishly moved to sit down at the edge of his bed. He swallowed deeply. "I'm surprised… Out of all the times this has happened, you've always wanted to kill the person who murdered your mother."

"And look where it's gotten us." Alex said exasperatedly. "Look at where it's _going_ to get us. Endless trips to the past to change a future that's written in stone. I decided to do something different this time. Come back and get rid of the problem here and now."

Draco's eyes flashed dangerously at his daughter as he rose to his feet. "Hermione isn't a _problem_. She's your mother! And you'd do best to remember that."

"Remember that?" Alex seethed angrily. "All I remember past the age of seven years old is a woman who grew further and further away from her family. A woman who loved the Dark Arts more than her own child! A woman who did _this_ to me because I wouldn't follow in her footsteps." Alex pulled up her sleeve to reveal a large burn from her upper arm and down to her wrist. She rolled back down her sleeve in a huff and clenched her teeth. "I won't remember a damned thing. And just who the hell do you think you are to tell me to!"

"I'm your _**father**_ , that's who the hell I am! And you're _**never**_ to raise your voice to me like that again!" Draco shouted, now standing in front of Alex and clearly towering over her. "You've got mummy issues, I get it. But no daughter of mine is going to piss and moan about it. You're a Malfoy. _**Grow up**_. You want things to go your way? _**Make it so**_. And just for the record, killing somebody to make your problems go away is the cowardly way out, and I'm ashamed of you."

However strong Alex had been just moments ago, Draco could see the little girl in her shining through. With a snap of his fingers all three wands she had discarded onto the ground were in his hand. He tossed his spares onto the bed and tucked his wand away in his back pocket. Alex stared at him in surprise and let her mouth curl into a smirk.

"You never once showed me how to do that."

"I'm sure I didn't." Draco told her, a smile of his own coming to his lips. "Then you could've gotten whatever you wanted sans wand. Laziness isn't a desirable trait, Alex, and Accio is bad enough." He sighed then and lifted the time-turner his daughter was wearing in such a way that the chain wrapped around his neck as well. Alex stared at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"We're taking a little time trip." Draco said as he prepared the time-turner. "Where do you live in the future?"

"Well, here, but I still don't-"

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty, but dad I-"

"No buts," Draco interrupted. He counted to himself as he twirled the rings around the time-turner forward. The golden object fell from his hands after he finished and he felt Alex's arms wrap around him as the world dissolved. When everything came back into view they stood in an extremely dusty and structurally unstable version of Draco's West Wing bedroom. Both he and Alex coughed as he slipped the time-turner from off of them and gave it to her.

"How far into the future did you go?" Alex asked as she coughed more, waving dust in the air away from her. "This certainly isn't _my time_. Despite the chaos you kept Malfoy Manor spic and span."

"Well that's good to know." Draco said as he slowly moved towards the door. "You're right. This isn't your time. It's ten years past it."

" _Ten years?_ " Alex repeated. "Why so far?"

"I wanted to give everything time to calm down. And to give you time as well."

"Time for what exactly?"

"Time to figure out what happened to my mother." An older version of Alex said. She was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, hands cupped, and her lips firmly clasped together. "Of course, you both are right on time. Follow me."

* * *

 **Author's note:** Well, as the title said, Alex came back with a new vendetta! But leave it to Draco to set his daughter straight and keep her in line. I particularly liked the bit about him grounding her :). And we see Alex's future self! More on that in the next chapter.

Hope that you liked it as the others! Thank for all the support :)

-WP


	9. Coveted Books

**January 2043**

"Dad, how did she know that we'd be here?" The younger Alex asked in a whisper. It wasn't quite soft enough as the older version of herself gave an unladylike snort up ahead.

"It's obvious that your proclivity to rash decisions characteristic of our late Uncle Harry –so much so that one would think you to be _his_ daughter were it not for our Malfoy features –that you didn't do any research on time travel or the possible consequences –both good and bad."

"…Smart arse…"

"I heard that."

The elder Alex continued leading the pair throughout Malfoy Manor as the younger version grumbled angrily and Draco marveled at the woman in front. It was amazing. She was the living embodiment of his mother from the way she stood with a perfect posture, walked with an excellent stride, and spoke with firm, crisp, intonations. Draco struggled to find any part of her that belonged to Hermione and he frowned. It was almost as though she had shed anything of her mother's and opted to embrace the Malfoy ways to the fullest extent.

"My apologies to state of the room you were in." Alex said as they neared a large door. "I prohibited the house elves from touching anything the day Uncle Harry and mother fought it out in there. As a reminder…"

"Where am I?" Draco asked as they ventured into a modest study. Alex sat at a large, well-polished desk and folded her hands over it.

"I'm not sure. Though it's safe to say that you're most likely with Uncle Ron."

Draco huffed. "You're kidding."

Alex tilted her head to the side slightly and smiled. "Why should I be? You lost your love, and Uncle Ron lost both of his best friends. It's only logical for you two to grow close over the years. And you have."

"What did you want to tell us?" Young Alex asked suddenly. Her older self narrowed her eyes at her as a mother would when scolding her child.

"Such impatience," Alex chided. "Time is irrelevant when you're in possession of a time-turner." She then sighed and pursed her lips. "But seeing as my husband will be returning shortly I really should move this along."

Draco felt his face drain of color. "H-husband?"

Alex stared at her father fondly. "Now isn't the time, father. But yes, husband." Alex let slip a full grin, teeth and all and that's when Draco saw it. Hermione. He felt his chest flutter with delight but it quickly faded when his daughter gave him a piece of a parchment to look over.

"What are these?"

"Mother's books," both Alex-es answered. The younger Alex took the parchment from him and read over each of the four books listed.

"They were the ones that she loved the most." Young Alex said. "The moment she had read one of them the book never left her side. It was like…they were a part of her."

"And in a sense you're right." The older Alex added. "You won't know this, but what about you, father? What do you know of Magical Transference?"

Draco stiffened. It took those last two words to make his mind run ragged. It couldn't have been… After all the times someone had gone through time. All the changes that had been made. No one, _not a single soul_ , had thought briefly of Magical Transference? It was old magic. It was _rare_ magic. And quite frankly it was something Draco had never bothered to think of because it was just too far-fetched for it to actually happen.

"…It can happen with anything." Draco said softly. "A simple object like a button or an old toy, but most commonly a book or a mirror. With a mirror, it's a little strange at first to be talking to yourself, but after a while it's okay. You start getting used to it. You start _liking it_. But it's commonly caught and easily fixed by breaking the mirror. But with a book it's…more insidious. The reader never realizes what's happening and others would never guess as to why their loved ones are changing."

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Young Alex asked him, but it was her older self that answered.

"He's talking about what I asked. Magical Transference, the process by which the thoughts and characteristics of others are transferred into another human being."

"Like what a horcrux can do?"

Older Alex raised a brow in surprise, but then smiled, clearly happy and proud of the assumption that had been made. "Yes, quite. It's old magic much like that of a horcrux. The only differences are that it has nothing to do with souls and none of it is done on purpose. It's truly accidental magic. As our father mentioned, whether it's a book, mirror, or whatever, a person's being, whatever traits make them up become trapped in items that he or she cares for the most. In our mother's case, the books that she had been reading, they held those same properties."

"How do you know?" Draco asked. Alex refused to look at her father as she spoke her next words. It was the first time her Narcissa-like persona faltered completely as she twiddled her thumbs in anxiety. Another Hermione trait.

"…I might have had a test subject or two."

Draco's eyes tightened. " _A test subject or two?_ "

"Don't look at me that way. I had to figure out if my assumptions were true or not." Alex fretted. She stopped with her twiddling and crossed her arms over chest like a child. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "And I was right. You don't have to read the entire book for the effect to happen, although doing so enhances the transference tremendously. Those who…helped me in my study of these books changed. Burning the book afterwards restored them. Can you see it now?" Alex asked, her Malfoy tendencies quickly returning. " _One book_ had the utmost terrifying effect. Mother read _four_ ; each personality of the creator molding with each other to create the ultimate monster."

"Are you sure that these are it?" Draco questioned, his eyes hungrily and eagerly looking over the books on the parchment. "These are the only ones?"

"I'm sure." Alex nodded. "As I alluded to previously, mother kept these four particularly close and heavily guarded. I assume she knew what would happen if any of them were destroyed. You'll use a time-turner to go back to your time. Make sure you destroy each book."

Draco read each book name. He smiled at the fact that Alex had written the dates around the times that Hermione had read the books and where they might be likely to be found. Obviously she had spent a lot of time thinking this through.

"I understand the need to be thorough," young Alex said. "But must you destroy all of them? As much as I hate cursed objects, they're still Malfoy property. What if it was just the first one? If she doesn't read that then she won't be inclined to read the others-"

"She'll still find the others. And she'll read them just as feverishly." Alex confirmed and then she sighed solemnly, letting her eyes roam over herself and her father. "This isn't the first time we're talking, you know. This has happened so many times in so many ways. I know because the first time that it did I put a memory of it in a pensieve. Somehow memories are…quite outside of time, and I have them all. One where you, Alex, and Uncle Harry came five years ago. One where it was just you five years into the future. And one where it was me and my boyfriend." She chuckled and then frowned.

'For a reason that none of us know, mum is _meant_ to read those books. She's _meant_ to turn everyone's lives upside down. But she's also meant to have me, and she's meant to love you, father. And for a reason that I find most astonishing, I'm meant to live in this Manor. And I'm meant to _always_ have a pensieve right in this study holding memories that never go away, but are merely added to. I think these books are the answer, and maybe this time around we'll get it right."

Draco couldn't have been more proud of his daughter. The pride that was swelling up in him was insurmountable and he nodded. He would do it. He'd get rid of the damned things that took his Hermione away from him and yes, maybe this time they'd get it right. Alex smiled and then pulled out a time-turner from her desk drawer to give to her father.

"You should get going. And you," She said to her younger self. "You'd better get home."

The younger Alex pouted and crossed her arms angrily. "Why? I want to go with dad and help him. You should know that."

"That I do, but unfortunately this is a grownup trip."

" _I'm twenty._ " Young Alex grumbled mercilessly. Her older self laughed.

"Yes, you are, but you also have the mental age of a child. Now listen to yourself and get lost."

"Damn I hate talking to myself."

Draco chuckled. "You and me both, kid." She smiled and played with the time-turner in her hands. He watched her disappear and then he brought his attention to the parchment in his hands before stuffing it into his back pocket and pulled out the time-turner. With one last look at his stunning, adult daughter, Draco turned the rings, and watched as everything disappeared.

* * *

 **January 2018**

Draco found himself in the study he had just left. He was surprised a bit to find it pretty much exactly the same minus a few things shifted around and one or two additions. Although Alex hated keeping her room clean now, she certainly grew up to admire a clean home just as he did.

Draco made a quick pit-stop by Alex's room and found that Hermione was still sleeping there. Good. He made his way to the library and pulled on the book that would move the bookcase and reveal the immense Dark Arts library that was hidden behind it. As he walked through the doorway his insides turned numb. He instantly began thinking that there could be more. Out of the tons of books that littered the top floor, the middle, and the bottom, there couldn't have been just _four_ cursed books. And who was to say that Hermione didn't end up down here one day and found ones not written on the list? With a deep and heavy sigh, he had come to a decision. He'd get rid of the four Alex had highlighted for him and then after torch the place. Centuries upon centuries of books and consequently Malfoy academia, but it was worth it.

With another deep breath he went straight to the top floor. One of the books had been one on the theory of Dark Arts. Harmless in nature so it seemed, as Draco himself had read the synopsis on the back of it. Though, Hermione's future actions proved otherwise. He hadn't needed to go to the directory and find out where the book was, but after searching where it _should have been_ he checked the catalog. He read through the catalog three times and then went back in search of the book. It was gone. He began thinking that maybe Hermione had already taken it, already read it, but that was impossible. Hermione didn't have access to the library and Welford wouldn't be moving in until the following week. Where the hell could it have gone?

Draco calmed himself by rushing down to the bottom floor in order to find the other three books that were to be there. Once his feet hit the ground he had to hold onto the railing to prevent himself from falling. Standing there by the large mahogany table with four books mounted next to her was Hermione. At first he was confused because he had seen her still upstairs and asleep with Alex. But realization came to him quickly. It wasn't the fact that this Hermione looked older nor was it the menacing yet playful look that she was giving. It was the time-turner that was dangling over her chest.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Man, I forgot how much I loved this chapter. It was the older Alex that did it for me; that and the fact that Draco now has to contend with the future version of Hermione (uh oh!). At least now you know how our sweet Hermione managed to turn into a monster!

The next chapter is the last and this chaotic time-journey will finally settle itself. Whether for good or bad, only time will tell :)

-WP


	10. A New Future

"Draco," Hermione said sensually, her voice laced with malice. It made his blood run cold. "You really mustn't run down the stairs, darling. It's not safe."

"…What are you doing here?" Draco asked, his eyes going between her and the books her fingertips were resting on. Hermione produced a gut-wrenching smile.

"What? A woman can't simply pop back in time to visit the younger version of the love of her life?" She casually asked, soon after frowning. "You know, I've missed you. You and I aren't very close in the future, as you can imagine. It gets quite lonely toppling governments all by yourself."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" Draco scoffed. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she raised her hand at him, her fingers closing into a fist. Draco instantly felt weak. He dropped to his knees and tried to breathe but no air was coming in. Breathing out, although that was the _last_ thing that he wanted to do at the moment, also proved useless. It was almost as though all the air around him had stopped flowing. His chest felt tight. His whole body was constricted.

Hermione stared at him as he rolled onto his back and then slowly walked over to him. She watched as his face turned an interesting shade of blue and then tutted as she knelt down beside him. "I'm sorry, but I didn't quite appreciate your tone a moment ago."

She placed a hand on his cheek and caressed it. His eyes were pleading with her to stop whatever it was that she had done to him. He grappled at her arm like a blind man trying to see. Soon he stopped his actions. And when he was still for just a second Hermione brought a closed fist to his face and opened it. Draco instantly gasped, taking in huge amounts of air at once and coughing incessantly.

"I really don't want to have to kill you, sweetheart. Please, don't make me have to do that again."

From the corner of his eyes Draco saw Hermione rise to her feet and walk away. His chest was in utter pain. He turned over onto his stomach and coughed as he wobbly stood up, using the staircase handle for support. She had gone back to her previous position by her precious books.

"I didn't come here for a very long chat." Hermione said conversationally. "I merely wanted to pick up a few books. You, my beloved Draco, were about to do an utterly terrible thing."

"Trying to save you isn't terrible." Draco swallowed. "There must be something inside of you that's still _you_!"

"Hmm, I never pegged you to be such a whiner. It's not very attractive." Hermione sighed and picked up the books on the table and held them under her arm. "Now, normally I would scold someone for so nonchalantly running around through time as you have done, but I won't. Your meddling somehow brought a Seer my way. That's how I found out what you were trying to do. You were going to destroy my favorite toys and _that_ , Draco, is _**not okay**_.

'I'm going to take my lovely possessions away from here now. I'm going to put them somewhere special to make sure that I've read them. You can't change fate completely, love. I'm meant to be this way, and I'm going to stay this way."

Draco watched helplessly as Hermione one-handedly flipped the rings on the time-turner and disappeared from his sight. He stood there, motionlessly, his head swimming and his limbs feeling like lead. It was as he stood by the stairs that his mind clicked. He instantly drew out the parchment Alex had given him and stared at it in his hands. The names of the books. The dates. All of the dates would be useless with the exception of the first as long as Hermione didn't read it.

Draco worked quickly. September 23rd, 2020 was the date. He turned the rings on the time-turner and felt the world disappear under his feet. He found himself in the library and whipped out his wand quickly in case Hermione was here. She wasn't. Draco checked the parchment yet again and reviewed what Alex had written. _Bedside table…_ Bedside table? He didn't stop to think about it. He stashed the parchment away and ran up the stairs. He made it pass the bookcase entrance and then yelled in pain as he collapsed to the ground. He twisted, arched his back, and bent his body in ways he didn't think possible. He felt like three different wands had Crucioed him at once, but there was no one there. The spell broke rather quickly but the aftereffects and pain lingered through his muscles and bones. Draco looked back at the entrance and saw a shimmer around it. He realized then that Hermione had set him up, knowing full-well that he wouldn't have just done nothing.

Draco groaned miserably as he rose to his feet, collapsed yet again, but finally making his body work for him. He ran out of the library with an awkward limp. His thoughts were running just as he was and he was confused. Why not kill him? Hermione had obviously become a powerful and dangerous witch, but why torture him and not kill him when he was trying to stop her?

Draco rounded a corner and bumped into someone. He had his wand gripped tightly and pointed at the person who turned out to be the very witch he was looking for. He didn't cast a spell though. It wasn't because he didn't want to hurt her, but because she looked thoroughly surprised and scared at his actions.

"Draco, what on earth are you doing?!" Hermione shouted with her eyes wide. He didn't lower his wand, however. His heart was racing.

"Where are you going?! Where's Alex?!"

Hermione looked positively frightened now and frantic as she completely ignored his first question. " _You don't know where Alex is?!_ You were supposed to be taking her to Harry's!"

"She's there." Draco said, sure that his present self was gone as well as Alex. "I need you to go to the East Wing. Head to the study and take the Floo. Go anywhere! You just have to go."

"Go? Draco I don't understand-!"

" _ **GO!**_ " He shouted once more, this time actually giving Hermione a shove. She was scared beyond measure but took off at a run towards the East Wing like he said. Draco ran in the opposite direction and to the West Wing. As he neared it he slowed. The bookcase entrance had been a trap. There was no doubt that future Hermione would be waiting for him even if she had accomplished her task of leaving the book on the night table next to the bed.

Draco reached the hallway of the West Wing. It was lined with closed doors and utter silence. Sweat began to cover his brow, both from running and from nerves. As he approached the bedroom he was suddenly felt himself being lifted off his feet and thrown up into the air. His wand dropped from him as his back collided with the ceiling. He couldn't move. Draco's eyes darted around wildly as Hermione appeared from the bedroom. Only three books were under her arm and she smiled as she looked up at him.

"Enjoying the view from up there?" She asked sweetly. A single flick of her finger and Draco dropped from the ceiling and onto the floor. He hit the wood with a thud, instantly hearing a crack and feeling pain in his nose. His head rose only a few centimeters as the blood trickled out of it. He heard Hermione give a lazy sigh. "Damn, I've always loved that face."

Draco could hear Hermione's shoes as she walked closer to him. He tensed up as she neared and then relaxed as she moved past him. He made his next move quickly. Draco got up and darted sloppily towards the bedroom.

"Don't even think about it." Hermione growled. She threw her hand out towards him and yanked it back, and Draco fell backwards as though an invisible hand had pulled him roughly by the collar. He fell half as hard as his drop from the ceiling and slid. Despite the pain, it was worth it. His hand was in reach of his wand. Draco stared at Hermione's upside down form and pointed it at her.

"Stupefy!"

The spell hit Hermione right in the chest. She was stunned but with how powerful she was Draco doubted that it would last very long. He scrambled to his feet, slipping some but maintaining his balance. His eyes were on the book but his ears were attending to the _very_ pissed off witch behind him.

" _DRACO!_ "

Draco aimed his wand at the book. "Incendio Inimicus!"

The book was instantly engulfed in a fit of blue flames. Draco took a moment to admire his handiwork. A spell of his own design; one to handle the strength of a cursed object, but not nearly as dangerous as Fiendfyre. Draco heard a cry from behind him and he whirled himself around. His brow furrowed as he saw Hermione on the ground, holding herself, whimpering in obvious pain. His eyes gravitated back to the books and Alex's words reverberated in his brain. _"It was like…they were a part of her."_

No wonder she protected them so much.

Draco hurried. He sprinted down the hall and gathered all three books that had fallen from Hermione's hands with a quick wand flick. He didn't stop to look at her even though from his periphery he could see that she was gaining her strength back. He pushed his pained body to its limits even as he felt blood flow freely from his nose and mouth. An electrifying torment was emanating from his left his leg as he ran but he couldn't stop. He could hear Hermione shouting after him, running behind him. Draco flanked the upcoming corridor just in time to miss a jet of fire that ended in a collision with a vase on a marble stand. He worked his body harder, skidding slightly on the ground but making it into the library. Draco let the books fall to the floor as he closed the door. He worked his wand quickly to put up as many spells as he could to keep her out. When he was finished he stared at the books on the ground.

It wasn't enough. As long as she was around, she'd do all she could to get her hands on her books. Draco picked them up and opened the door to the hidden library just in time to hear Hermione blow not only the door, but a huge chunk of the wall apart. His wards had done absolutely nothing. Panicked, Draco rushed further into the library waving his wand around and watching everything around him burn. It was an ocean of fire. A stream of it shot up from his wand so that it could catch on to the top floor of books.

"Stop it!" Hermione screamed at him. She waved at hand at him and Draco tripped on the stairs. The books fell from him as he tumbled; his already banged up leg becoming more damaged, his face taking unneeded hits, and the rest of his body joining in causing him distress. Draco hit the bottom of the stairs feeling beyond repair. One book was in front of his face. The other had landed a few feet near the mahogany table. His eyes were scanning for the third book, but he didn't have to see where it had landed. He could hear Hermione crying aloud in pain yet again.

Draco spat out a mouth full of blood and tried to rise to his feet, but he yelled. His was leg broken. He could hear Hermione coming down the stairs, but he _had_ to finish it. His wand had rolled away a few feet from him and so he crawled. Draco fought the vicious feel of his arms and used his upper body to propel himself closer to his wand. He was in arms reach of it before he foolishly remembered he could've called it to him. Before he could take any further action he felt his body being picked up and careened into the other side of the room. The bookcase he had been slammed into rained books on him which damaged already injured body parts. Hermione parted the remnants of the avalanche with a gesture of her hand and stared down at him cruelly. She was bleeding from the corner of her mouth, her clothes were singed, and ash covered her everywhere.

"You're going to make me kill you, aren't you?" Hermione said rather than asked. Draco took in her appearance. She still looked malevolent, and yet different. Her confidence was faltering as was the infrastructure of the library as he heard it crack, moan, and hiss with all the flames.

"Do it then." Draco challenged. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"You think I won't?!"

"I think you won't."

Hermione's hand flexed either out of nervousness or anger. She didn't have time to do much of anything as part of the ceiling collapsed and fell behind her. It dropped onto the table in the room and the book that was lying beside it. Seeing Hermione shout in pain was an entirely different experience than hearing it. His heart ached as her face contorted in agony and she dropped to the ground, holding herself as a form of protection.

Draco forced his arm to raise and his fingers to move. A quick snap brought his wand to him and he removed the rest of the books that had fallen on him. He could still see one of the books beyond him. Flames had begun to trickle down to the bottom floor, but he couldn't leave it to chance that it would burn. He brought his wand to his leg and yelled as he felt his bones temporarily slipping back into place. Proper medical attention would be needed, but for now it was good enough. Draco got to his feet, his teeth clenched against the agony in his leg and the rest of his body. He messily hopped over broken bits of ceiling and flames. He dove for the book, unfortunately falling short as Hermione had gathered herself and jumped onto his back.

She rolled him over, straddling him with her hands on his throat. Draco gasped as he felt the pressure in her hands grow with each passing second. He didn't bother to try to pry her hands off of him. Instead he pointed his wand at the remaining book and watched it fly overhead and into the fierce flames that were dancing behind them. Hermione had been concentrating so hard on cutting off his air supply that she hadn't realized what he'd done. Once the book hit the flames Hermione cried out yet again, falling over to the side and cradling her body once more.

Draco swallowed. He stared up above and all around him. The entire library was nothing but blue and deep smoke. The only thing he could see clearly was the stairs as flames lined the railings. He forced himself to sit up and looked over to his right. Hermione was there, non-threatening, with her hands over her face in order to mask with failure her silent tears. Draco removed her hands. Her eyes stared at everything but him and he frowned.

"Hermione-"

"You have to go." She said. One of her hands fumbled with the chain of her time-turner until it was off of her neck. Draco watched in disbelief as she tossed it into the nearby flames. She then brought her gaze to him for the first and final time. "I don't have a future anymore. But you do have a past to get to."

"Hermione…I can't just-"

"Go!" She shouted at him, using whatever strength she had left in herself to push at him. Draco stared at her with a dull ache in his chest. Without any more words said he pulled on his own time-turner and moved the rings back. He rested his head on the ground and saw more of the ceiling crashing down. It didn't hit him though. He was back in his own library in his own time. No flames. No smoke. No Hermione.

As Draco lay there, his adrenaline rush began to die and caused body parts to wake up. There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't in pain; so much so that he was surprised he was able to move at all. As he slowly made his way up the stairs, his left leg becoming less and less useful as he went up, he thought of Hermione. She had been right. You couldn't change fate completely. He had left her to die.

Draco made it to the book entrance and sealed it up after him. He would find a way a safer way to destroy his library. But for now he needed rest and a million different potions to set him right again. By the time he made it to the West Wing the sun was rising. He also saw Hermione in bed, stretching and squeezing his unused pillow. Draco felt weak and it wasn't because of his bodily damages. He could feel water springing to his eyes and couldn't tell if tears had actually fallen or if he was still bleeding. He smiled, tasting what remaining blood was in his mouth and walked over to the bed. He climbed onto it, hardly quiet about it as he couldn't contain his grimaces. Hermione opened her eyes and she sat up in alarm at the sight of him.

"Oh my – _Merlin!_ Draco, what happened to you?!"

"Later… I'll tell you later."

"No, you'll tell me now!" Hermione said frantically. She was sitting back on her legs, her eyes pouring all over him, hands hovering over his body as though afraid to touch any part of him. "Draco, you need to go to St. Mungo's."

"I agree." Draco breathed, a sharpness spreading through his limps. "But I just need a minute. One minute to be alone with you."

"But Draco-"

"One minute,"

Hermione bit her lip furiously. Draco was badly injured, but he was as stubborn as ever despite his current situation. And, despite his state, he was adamant about just being there with her. She sighed, clearly frightened, but she nodded and did what he asked. She moved to lay beside him, careful not to hurt him. And even though he had flinched throughout the entire endeavor, Draco furthered his outward pain and inward pleasure by wrapping an arm around her. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity but was in actuality only until the sun was firmly in the sky.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Draco?"

"We can go to St. Mungo's now."

Hermione disentangled herself from him quickly and magically dressed. As he watched her order Avery to ask if Harry wouldn't mind watching Alex for her, Draco smiled. He knew that she would be okay –that _they_ would be okay. With the books gone and soon the entire library, the cycle had been broken. The future had been changed. And their fate was finally in their own hands.

* * *

 **Author's note:** And that's all she wrote, folks! I know it's not Monday, but I couldn't have waited a full week; especially after that cliffy I left you with :)

I can't even attempt to say how much I enjoyed writing this. I've never written anything like this before, so I'm thankful for the experience and so glad to have shared it with you :D

Thanks for reading, the amazing reviews, favorites, and follows. I'm still working on "Condemned with Reason", sequel to "Aurors vs. the Condemned" as well as a new story called "Destined." It's only three chapters in so far, and although I've been posting on it on Tuesdays, I'll probably move it up to Mondays now that this story is over.

-WP


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